Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, senior economist and chairperson of the Board of Trustees of East West University (EWU), presented a series of proposals on constitutional reform and democratic governance at the 8th Nahreen Khan Memorial Lecture held on 12 July at the university’s Manzur Elahi Auditorium.

Delivering the keynote address titled Constitutional Reform and Democratic Governance: A Bangladesh Perspective, Dr Farashuddin outlined recommendations aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, improving governance and supporting the country’s long-term economic development.

Among his proposals, he suggested introducing proportional representation in the Upper House of Parliament rather than in general elections for Members of Parliament (MPs). He also proposed allowing MPs to vote independently on legislative matters, except for constitutional amendments, motions of no confidence and money bills.

Dr Farashuddin further recommended limiting MPs’ involvement in local administration and development activities and granting constitutional status to the office of the governor of Bangladesh Bank to strengthen financial governance. He also proposed that appointments to constitutional offices be vested in the president and called for the establishment of a high-powered administrative reform commission.

Highlighting urban planning and economic development, he stressed the need to establish a metropolitan authority for the greater Dhaka region, similar to the model used in Delhi. He said improvements in tax administration, political neutrality in public administration and the consistent application of accountability could help Bangladesh build a governance system founded on equality, dignity and social justice. He also expressed optimism that Bangladesh could become a trillion-dollar economy within the next decade if such reforms were implemented.

The programme also featured speeches by Professor Dr Shams Rahman, vice-chancellor of East West University; Dr Fakrul Alam, retired professor of the Department of English at the University of Dhaka; senior journalist Sohrab Hasan; and Air Cdre (Retd.) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury, treasurer of East West University.

Members of the university’s Board of Trustees, faculty members, students, administrative staff and members of Nahreen Khan’s family attended the event.

The Nahreen Khan Memorial Lecture is organised annually in memory of Nahreen Khan, an alumna of East West University and daughter of the late Dr Akbar Ali Khan, economist and former adviser to the caretaker government.