Bangladesh Journal of Administration and Management

The Role of Emotions, Power, and Politics in Setting Policy Agenda: A Theoretical Analysis of Policy Inaction in the Shipbreaking Industries in Bangladesh

Sabrina Mustafa — 2025-01-11

Agenda-setting may not always be a rational process and depends mostly on the perception of the policy problem made by the policy entrepreneurs to the decision-makers where ‘non-decision’ or ‘policy-inaction’ is also a kind of decision to avoid certain issues. Taking the existing ship-breaking policy of Bangladesh as a case study, this study tries to theoretically analyze how the level of public emotions and exercise of political power impact policy-making in a policy domain that resulted in no policy change. The study applies mainly two theories of public policy: the threshold model of the policy process by Christopher Pepin-Neff and the theory of three faces of power by Lukes which relates public emotions and political power with policy formulations. The study argues that, according to these theories, the case study is an example of high emotion policy threshold (HEHP) issue where, despite the initiatives by some policy actors to open a new policy window and the demands of the advocacy coalition consisting of International Labour Organization (ILO) and non-government organizations (NGO), the government used covert power to establish the preference of employment generation, national GDP and GNP and exclude the demand of policy-redesign from policy-agenda. The objective of this study is not to establish a new proposition of policy discussion but rather to discuss policy inaction or agenda-setting in an existing problem from a new perspective, theoretically from two distinct points of view: emotions and political power.

A study on delay of Local Government Development Projects Completion and Its Impact in Bangladesh

Abdul Jabbar — 2025-01-11

Successful project outcomes rely on various well-coordinated actions from start to finish. This study aims to identify the issues affecting local government projects in Bangladesh and their significant impacts. Delays in projects are often caused by the conventional administrative system and poor coordination among stakeholders. Ministries and departments Develop Project Proposals (DPPs) without thorough feasibility studies or appropriate measures, leading to delays in approval and project execution. Although the Local Government Division undertakes numerous projects with substantial funding, several issues prevent timely completion, including insufficient funds, untrained personnel, inadequate planning, flawed feasibility studies, lack of modern technology, frequent natural disasters, and fluctuating project material costs. Additionally, the protracted administrative process and top-down planning approach do not align with optimal outcomes. This outdated planning system complicates project implementation, whereas a bottom-up approach could be more effective. It is noted that although Local Government Division undertake many projects, gaps in execution often lead to deteriorated project quality, time and cost overruns, and eventual project failure. In addition to assessing corrective measures like structured planning, thorough feasibility studies, compliance enforcement, project prioritization, efficient monitoring, and land acquisition challenges, this study will look into delays that result in misappropriation of public funds and setbacks in ADP progress. This research seeks to address these issues by analyzing all available information, including primary and secondary data, respondents' opinions, and other evidence through a qualitative approach.

The Protracted Rohingya Refugee Crisis: A Growing Incertitude for Bangladesh, the Rohingyas, and the Regional Countries

Forkan Elahi — 2025-01-11

The protracted Rohingya refugee crisis is one of the most significant ongoing refugee crises in the world. The Rohingyas have been facing decades of discrimination, statelessness and targeted violence in Myanmar which forced them to cross the Bangladeshi border for saving lives. The Rohingyas entered into Bangladesh after violent attacks in 1978, 1991-1992 and in 2016. The recent influx of Rohingya arrival in 2016 crossed the previous records that shifted the number of Rohingya refuges in Bangladesh to 1.2 million. This significant number of refugees have not only created humanitarian crisis but also security risks. Though, the host country is getting humanitarian assistance from international communities to support the refugees but the security risks are getting less attention. This study emphasizes on the security aspects of this refugee crisis. It explains that the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis has created multi-dimensional non-traditional security risks. The host country is in the risk of several national security issues and the Rohingyas are also facing human security crisis. This crisis has also posed security risks towards the regional countries at the same time. It also explains the necessity of immediate attention to resolve the crisis permanently by short-term and long-term measures.

Mobile e-Service Carrier (e-Car): Innovating Public Service Delivery in Bangladesh

Mohammad Abdul — 2025-01-11

This study aims to identify effective and efficient methods for enhancing e-governance initiatives in Bangladesh, specifically focusing on improving e-services by simplifying delivery processes. It proposes a Mobile E-Service Carrier (eCar) model to facilitate seamless public service delivery. The main activities of this prototype include raising awareness, organizing exhibitions and fairs, facilitating birth registrations, publishing public examination results, setting up mobile photo labs, showcasing sports matches, providing access to land records, organizing drama exhibitions, and supporting human resource development. The study explores the potential for transforming governance by improving accessibility for the poorest segments of the population and seeks to raise awareness among government agencies about citizens' needs. It suggests a paradigm shift in public service delivery by bringing services directly to citizens' doorsteps and connecting people in rural areas. In this model, service providers or agencies are expected to reach out to citizens instead of requiring citizens to visit the agencies. This approach could empower individuals while making government agencies more attuned and responsive to the needs of the people. Finally, this could lead to more effective e-governance and inspire a new era of public service delivery.