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The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) hosted a dialogue session to discuss Bangladesh’s Security, Corruption and Energy sector on Thursday, 18 September 2025, at the CIRDAP (Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific) Auditorium. The session was moderated by Zillur Rahman, President of the Centre for Governance Studies.

Opening the discussion, Zillur Rahman warned that Bangladesh is facing a security crisis which may deepen if elections are not held on time. He noted that the issues of security, energy, and corruption are interlinked and highlighted the key questions for debate, including the risks posed by great power rivalries, the urgent need for border protection, the modernisation of defence and cybersecurity, the formulation of a national security policy, and the constitutional and legal reforms necessary to combat corruption. Questions were also raised on strengthening the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), implementing a realistic anti-corruption strategy, addressing budget loopholes that legalise illicit wealth, ensuring uninterrupted electricity, reducing reliance on energy imports, expanding renewable energy, and increasing transparency in major projects such as the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan noted that corruption in the energy sector often occurred with the support of flawed laws and policies. He stated that while the interim government had worked to reduce corruption and repaid most of the USD 3.2 billion energy debt, it lacked sufficient time to undertake deeper reforms. He acknowledged dissatisfaction with anti-corruption efforts, highlighting that vested interests benefit from corruption and that focus should shift from investigating past misdeeds to addressing present-day corruption.

Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan outlined five key dimensions of security: state, economy, politics, diplomacy, and society. He stressed that people’s security must come first, encompassing environmental safety, technological challenges, food security, media literacy, and energy. He argued that diversity of thought must be protected and that security should not be viewed merely as protecting those in power.

Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar emphasized political stability as a cornerstone of national security, underscoring the need for free and fair elections. He recounted discussions with citizens who admired the parliament building’s beauty but lamented the corruption of those in power. He argued that corruption has undermined recent elections, warning that without reforming politics and curbing money’s influence, democratic processes cannot function properly.

Major General (Retd.) A N M Muniruzzaman argued that the opportunity to enact meaningful reforms following the recent uprising has already been missed. He highlighted gaps in Bangladesh’s national security, including the lack of a comprehensive national security policy, unresolved transboundary water disputes, rising sea levels threatening much of the country, and the absence of policies to address these issues. He further raised concerns about border killings, drug smuggling, small arms trafficking, inadequate defense modernisation, and Bangladesh’s lag in hybrid warfare and information warfare capabilities. He insisted that internal unity and modernization are essential for national security.

Speaking at the dialogue, Parvez Karim Abbasi emphasised that security encompasses not only hard defense but also economy, water, and cyber security. He pointed to the ongoing power struggle among the United States, China, and India, the fragility of U.S.-India relations, uprisings in neighbouring countries such as Nepal, and the unresolved crisis in Myanmar and the Rohingya refugee issue. He highlighted the growing challenge of water security due to upstream dams in India and China and warned that rising foreign debt could undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty. Cybersecurity risks, including data theft, also threaten the nation. He concluded that the era of non-alignment has ended, and Bangladesh must now strategically align with a major power to survive, requiring a synchronized national plan.

Mojibur Rahman Monju stressed that threats must be considered alongside strengths and opportunities. He noted that AB Party has identified 22 challenges facing the country, including crises in electricity, education, and healthcare. He argued that tackling corruption would have positive effects across all sectors, and proposed digitalization of service delivery as part of the solution. He also called for fair elections to strengthen democratic norms.

Ambassador M Shafiullah observed that in international relations, today’s allies can easily become tomorrow’s rivals, underscoring the volatility of geopolitics.

Dr M Shamsul Alam stated that his organization had reached out to political parties to ask how they would ensure energy security in their manifestos, but had received no response. He stressed that political stability is a prerequisite for security and described the current state of the energy sector as riddled with “mega corruption.”

Dr Ahmad Abdul Kader criticized the past regime’s hollow rhetoric of “zero tolerance” toward corruption, noting its full complicity in corrupt practices. He emphasized the need for genuine reforms, implementation of laws, and free elections.

Nazmul Haque Prodhan warned against the growing political culture of vengeance, arguing that tolerance of diverse opinions is essential for democracy.

Shafqat Munir lamented the absence of a national security reform commission under the interim government. He argued for the creation of a national security architecture, including a task force to design long-term strategies. He stressed that cybersecurity must be understood as a national security issue, citing the Bangladesh Bank cyber heist and widespread online scams as examples of vulnerabilities. He also noted that low public sector salaries contribute to corruption.

Dr. Niloy Ranjan Biswas highlighted the relationship between development, corruption, and security, arguing that rising corruption worsens national security. He called for dynamic and adaptive foreign policy, urgent reforms in intelligence and policing, and the strengthening of maritime security to enable offshore energy exploration.

Advocate Subrata Chowdhury criticized disruptive protests by some political parties, arguing that dialogue on reforms and elections should not be undermined. He described the Rohingya crisis as Bangladesh’s most pressing security issue, noting the lack of progress despite international engagement. He added that corruption is primarily a white-collar phenomenon, even within the ACC itself, and expressed concern over the slow pace of reforms under the interim government.

Hasnat Kaiyum stressed that while macro-level discussions on security are important, only experts can identify solutions at the micro level. He emphasized internal security as Bangladesh’s most pressing issue, warning that the country’s insecurity benefits regional powers. He linked corruption directly to insecurity, arguing that accountability in parliament and leadership is key to solving wider national problems.

Md. Faruk Hasan noted that Bangladesh’s geography and geopolitics mean the country will always face threats. He pointed out that despite 12 elections held on paper, democracy has not been achieved, and questioned whether upcoming elections could be credible given the entrenched elements of the old regime within the police and bureaucracy. He called for making the ACC a constitutional body with independent leadership and argued that only free and fair elections can solve Bangladesh’s security challenges.

Sheikh Fazlul Karim Maruf argued that the recent fall of the previous regime was driven by popular protest, not foreign powers, and cautioned that allowing elements of the old regime to participate in upcoming elections would undermine security. He suggested proportional representation as a mechanism to reduce corruption in politics.

Mollah M Amzad Hossain described the energy sector as the epicentre of corruption, criticizing policies that burden Bangladesh with unused capacity charges. He called for reducing reliance on energy imports by developing domestic coal and renewable energy.

Inam Ahmed linked security issues directly to the democratization of Bangladesh, noting that past regimes systematically weakened institutions to facilitate corruption. He warned that without a free press, there can be no accountability, and argued that independent media is essential for combating corruption and ensuring security.