The Role of Evidence-Based Legislation in Enhancing Policy Effectiveness in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh has been independent for 52 years. During this time, we have walked a long road of socio-economic and cultural development. Especially education, women empowerment, sanitation, vaccination, and other development areas have reached the Millennium Development Goal (MDG). Now, different ministries are going to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. To achieve the goals properly within the framework of the guiding star - “The Constitution”, visionary series of policies like Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100: Bangladesh in the 21st Century, 8th Five Year Plan (July 2020-June 2025) and Bangladesh Perspective Plan 2021-2041 has been adopted during this period. Policy development areas in different sectors are mature as legislation to make legal frameworks of rights and duties. On the other hand, we have many strategic issues for diplomacy with international organizations and foreign countries. Bangladesh is going to graduate from LDC to a developing country in 2026. Therefore, it is important to understand the right pictorial view with foresight in the context of SDGs, climate change issues, graduation from LDC to a Developing country and the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution. Research-based policies are introduced in some specific areas like environment management, fiscal policy, women empowerment, public health, etc. According to Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), peace, justice and strong institution need non-discriminatory laws and policies. This will promote equity and inclusion. Evidence for legislation is important for an identified consolidated issue. To frame and develop the draft of a legislation needs implementing mechanisms with established authority. This legislation creates rights to enjoy, duties to perform, protection from violation, administrative implementation, and judicial authorship for ensuring justice. A piece of legislation determines the rights and duties from different perspectives with multiple dimensions. The government needs to understand those perspectives and dimensions with deep research studies and observations. Monitoring of trending crimes is another important area to understand the necessity of the legislative instrument. Penal provisions with the measurement of crime and punishment, fines, and reformative activities are important to understand from the evidence of the issues for legislation. For these reasons, data collection and preservation, stakeholder consultations, result-based programmes, and sectors to use evidence are the basis to support the legislation becomes strong. This policy study initiates the scope to use evidence for developing the draft of the legislation in Bangladesh by using qualitative methods. This study emphasizes drafting legal instruments from the perspectives of core problems and situations with future opportunities. Constrainers for implementation and shape of boundaries for penal provisions with the measurement of crime will be able to determine by pre-legislative consultation and data collection with analysis of best practices in the context of our country.