Organised by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in partnership with Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), the dialogue titled “Bangladesh in Crisis: Citizens’ Concerns” was held at the Lakeshore Hotel in Dhaka, on Saturday, 28 December 2013.
Published in The Daily Star
Defer Jan 5 polls
Civil society members urge govt; call for credible, participatory polls
Staff Correspondent
Eminent citizens yesterday called on the government to defer the January 5 parliamentary election to make it participatory and credible.
Deferment of such a meaningless election is the main task now to hold dialogue among major political parties and resolve the ongoing crisis, they told a discussion at a hotel in the capital’s Gulshan.
Civil society think-tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), legal aid organisation Ain O Salish Kendra, civic movement for good governance Sujan and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) jointly organised the discussion on “Bangladesh in Crisis”.
Renowned jurist Rafiqul Haque said the January 5 polls can be deferred up to 90 days even after the dissolution of the ninth parliament within the constitutional framework.
As per constitution, parliament members must be directly elected by the people, he pointed out, but 154 candidates have already been elected uncontested to the tenth parliament.
Two top leaders of the Awami League and the BNP must realise that the national interest is far above their partisan interests, and they have to engage in dialogue after deferment of the election to sort out the nature of election-time government, added Rafiqul.
There is no constitutional bar to holding the 10th parliamentary election within 90 days after the dissolution of the current parliament, said Asif Nazrul, professor of law at Dhaka University.
Elections have to be free, fair and inclusive for the legitimacy of a democratic government, said Prof Rehman Sobhan, chairman of CPD.
Referring to the February 15 general election in 1996 without the participation of the major opposition party, he said, “Let’s not repeat the same follies that can be averted.”
Criticality of the situation is deteriorating day by day. So both the leaders of the AL and the BNP have to sit in dialogue with patriotism for the sake of democracy and public welfare leaving their partisan whims aside, he added.
“We don’t want the January 5 election,” said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, executive director of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.
Both the opposition and ruling party leaders are turning a blind eye to the risks they are creating for the people and democracy with their obstinate political stances, said Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB.
Deferment of such a meaningless election is now a demand of majority people, said former adviser to a caretaker government Hossain Zillur Rahman.
Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, chairman of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra, said both the major political parties are dictatorial. It is easy to oust a military dictator, but extremely difficult to unseat an elected dictator.
Prof Anisuzzaman, a supernumerary professor at Dhaka University, said bloody violence, arson and sabotage in the name of political programme have devastated public life, economy and education. So the top leaders of the two major parties must sit for a cordial dialogue.
Manzur Elahi, former adviser to a caretaker government, warned that the country might head to extremism unless the two major political parties reach an agreement.
Barrister Mainul Hosein said the 15th amendment to the constitution is intended to establish a one-party rule and it is an impossible task to hold multi-party elections keeping this amendment in the charter.
Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, said what is meant by general election is not going to happen on January 5.
“The constitution envisages that the voters will elect their representatives through direct elections to parliament. But what is going to happen in the January 5 election goes against the very spirit of the constitution,” he said.
With 154 out of 300 parliament members already elected uncontested and elections to the rest of the seats without participation of the opposition parties will virtually result in the entire 10th parliament elected uncontested, he added.
Such elections will bring even worse political confrontations and cause loss of lives and public property, he said, and the Election Commission, which has already lost credibility, should also be reconstituted.
He suggested that the people must be resolute in making sure that such elections are not held. Instead, the ninth parliament, which is still in force, should convene a session to sort out who should head the all-party election-time government, maybe with the help of the president.
Moderated by distinguished fellow of CPD Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, the discussion was addressed by Farooq Sobhan, president of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Rokia Afzal Rahman, president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others.
Published in The Financial Express
Stop Jan 5 polls, urge top civil society members
FE Report
Civil society members Saturday demanded postponement of the January 5 parliamentary election and suggested finding out a solution by holding dialogue between chiefs of the two major political parties.
They said the ruling party can defer the election within the present constitutional framework. They feared if the election is held as per schedule on January 5, it would violate people’s constitutional rights of voting and threaten democracy.
These opinions came up at a dialogue titled ‘Bangladesh in Crisis: Citizens Thought’, jointly organised by the Transparency International Bangladesh, the Centre for Policy Dialogue, the Ain O Salish Kendra, and the Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik held in a city hotel.
The dialogue, presided over by leading economist Prof Rehman Sobhan, was conducted by CPD distinguished fellow Dr Debapriya Battacharya.
Some speakers proposed holding of a gathering on January 1, 2014 in front of the national parliament and observance of a hunger strike but other civil society members did not agree with such a programme at this time.
“The government must defer the January 5 polls to put an end to the ongoing political crisis and reach a consensus with the BNP to hold a participatory, credible and acceptable election,” Mahfuz Anam, Editor of The Daily Star said.
Peoples’ voting rights are on the brink of infringement as voting will only take place in 146 out of 300 constituencies because 154 candidates have already been elected unopposed, observed the civil society groups at an opinion-exchange programme in the capital.
Syed Manzur Elahi, leading industrialist and former caretaker government advisor, said everyone wants to boycott the general election for which the civil society should propose a package deal to the two parties to overcome the crisis.
“If political parties fail to perform their responsibilities, then religious extremist groups will surface,” Mr. Manzur Elahi said.
Noted educationist Prof Anisuzzaman suggested developing a permanent system for transfer of power. The country’s economy is being destroyed due to repeated political violence taking place during transfer of power after every five years, he said.
Prominent educationist Abdullah Abu Sayeed said the main reason for today’s political bloody confrontation is the amendment of the Section 70 of the Constitution.
“The people of the country have established a ‘democratic autocracy’ by uprooting military autocracy. It is easy to evict military autocracy but difficult to get rid of democratic autocracy,” he observed.
Mr Abu Sayeed proposed establishment of a two-layer parliamentary system aiming to decentralise power. He said two major political parties have been damaging life and property of the people since last 23 years.
Former caretaker government advisor Barrister Mainul Hosein termed the 15th Amendment of the Constitution as a means to kill democracy. The upcoming general election is going to be an incident of killing democracy in the way it did in 1975.
“The 15th Amendment of the Constitution is a system of ensuring one- party rule. This is Baksal in another shape”, he pointed out. He urged the people to stage a movement against the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.
Barrister Rafiqul Haque said the government cannot cancel the election but it can only defer it. “There is still time for deferment of the polls since the national election, as per the constitutional provision, should be within 90 days after dissolution of the parliament,” he said.
The solution of the ongoing political turmoil will not come with the help of outside people. Ultimately leaders of the two major parties should find a solution by discussing among themselves, he added.
Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president and former advisor to the caretaker government Rokia Afzal Rahman said businessmen want a credible general election. But the government is heading towards an arranged election, she said.
“The government can postpone the polls for the greater interest of the country. The economy is being shattered. Banking sector, agriculture and poultry are being damaged grievously,” she added.
Leading industrialist and former advisor to the caretaker government Tapan Chowdhury said, “It is our misfortune that we divided the nation into two sides. This divide has given a chance to the forces against our 1971 freedom struggle to come to the scene”.
He called for practising democracy in the political parties as he observed that the major political parties don’t have any in their own parties.
Minister for Posts and Telecommunication Rashed Khan Menon said a solution will not come even if the election is postponed or if Sheikh Hasina quits as the chief of the polls-time government.
This crisis is not only political or a problem for democracy, he said adding it is the problem of Bangladesh’s existence. The religion-based fundamental groups have emerged to destroy the country.
Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury, senior vice-chairman of the BNP, said the leader of the opposition is virtually under house arrest at her Gulshan residence as police either bars anyone from entering her house or arrests anyone daring to go to her residence.
He said the Constitution is not a religious book that it could not be amended. The government can bring further changes and can take action to stop the election, he suggested.
He said the UN-sponsored dialogue has failed because the Awami League did not agree to defer the election date.
BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman called for protecting democracy. He said election is the final destination of democracy which can only be institutionalised through free and fair election.
Former caretaker government advisor Hossain Zillur Rahman proposed an assembly of the civil society members in front of Manik Mia Avenue on Janaury 1, 2014 to press home the demands to be met by the government. He also urged the civil society to start process of forming a new political party.
The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam proposed a polls-time government which will be led by the present president and will hold an election within three months.
The Election Commission should also be reconstituted as the Commission has already lost its credibility, he said. “If the government agrees with the proposal, the opposition parties should stop all their political movements,” he further suggested.
The main sprit of the general election as per the Constitution is a participatory polls which will not happen on January 5, he said.
He wondered whether the Supreme Court or the High Court will take it into cognizance and give a ruling that this voter-free election is against the spirit of the Constitution. The ruling Awami League is going to assume a very bad image by holding this farcical election, he added.
Communist Party of Bangladesh president Manzurul Ahsan Khan said a group of ‘looting class’ people has been created during the last 23 years of democracy. They amassed huge wealth by misusing power, he said adding that for this reason, none wants to leave power.
Mr. Khan advised the opposition parties to take action against terrorism as well as refrain from fighting between the two parties. He suggested rigid action to ban the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.
Civil society member Syed Abul Maksud said the nation did not witness such a deep crisis after independence. The civil society can undertake some movements against the current situation, he added.
Former FBCCI chief Annisul Haque said no ways are now seen for solution of the current political impasse.
Senior journalist Reazuddin Ahmed, Motiur Rahman Chowdhury, former adviser to the caretaker government ASM Shahjahan, Ambassador Faruque Sobhan, chief executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association Syeda Rizwana Hasan, BRAC University Professor Dr Piash Karim, architect Mobasser Hossain, Prof Asif Nazrul of the Law Department, University of Dhaka, former president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association Fazlul Haque and Advocate Rana Das.
Former general secretary of the Bangladesh Mohila Parishad Ayesha Khanam, Executive Director of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association Advocate Salma Ali, eminent dance researcher Lubna Maraium, journalist Asraf Kaiser and general secretary of the Bangladesh Indigenous People’s Forum Sanjeeb Drong also spoke on the occasion.
‘Jan 5 polls to deepen political crisis’
The business sector of the country had suffered the most due to the continuous blockades
Abu Bakar Siddique
Eminent citizens yesterday urged the government to stop the January 5 election as it would deepen the country’s political crisis and contribute to the rise of religious militancy in Bangladesh.
“The two top leaders of the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP have to understand that evil power is waiting to cash in on their conflict which ultimately may lead the country to religious fundamentalism,” said Syed Manzur Elahi, former advisor to the caretaker government.
The civil society members also called upon the main opposition BNP to stop hartals and blockades and observed that such anti-government programmes were ruining the country’s economy as well claiming many lives.
The observation came at a dialogue on “Bangladesh in crisis and citizens’ thought” jointly organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Ain o Salish Kendra, Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan) and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in the capital’s Lakeshore hotel.
The government had to stop the lopsided polls which was going to be held without voters, said Syed Manzur Elahi.
In his address, Prof Anisuzzaman said people had been facing crisis prior to every national election, which was not healthy for the country’s development.
He maintained that the major political parties had to consider people’s interest fist instead of their own narrow interest.
Echoing Anisuzzaman, eminent citizen Prof Rehman Sobhan said this election would not bring any good result, rather deepen the existing crisis.
Most discussants demanded that the election be stopped for what they said the election was being held in an undemocratic way.
However, Bangladesh Liberation War Museum Trustee Dr Sarwar Ali said currently, there was no way to stop the election as it had already been scheduled.
He added that each and every election held after the 90’s faced some sort of crises though currently the level of crisis was at its peak.
To avoid the election, Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB, suggested that people could avoid the election holding symbolic hunger strike on January 5, the day of polls to make the government understand that they had been doing a meaningless election.
The recent political crisis broke out last month when the Election Commission declared the 10th parliamentary election schedule while the main opposition had been demanding for an election under the caretaker government system.
BNP boycotted the polls and enforced programmes like blockades to realise its demand.
Anisul Haque, former president of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) said the business sector of the country had mostly suffered due to the continuous blockades.
“The recent downgrading trajectory of economic situation shows that the country’s annual development programme would not be implemented if the violence continued,” he added.
Tapan Chowdhury, former advisor to the caretaker government expressed concern over the existing political crisis.
The business tycoon said: “Two top leaders never think about the country’s future and economy. If they thought so, they would work out a compromise.”
In his address, BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said they were ready to hold dialogue over the crisis for the sake of the country’s development provided the government showed its positive attitude.
Rashed Khan Menon, minister for Post and Telecommunications of the polls-time government, said the crisis had been created not only for the polls and democracy, but also for saving the war criminals though the issue had not been discussed at the forum remarkably.
The government started dialogue with the BNP several times – twice with the UN delegation Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, though BNP did not make it continue, he added.
Published in New Age
Stop January 5 polls: citizens
Staff Correspondent
Cross-section of citizens on Saturday demanded that the January 5 parliamentary polls must be deferred to accommodate chances of mediation to hold inclusive polls.
They made the demand At a roundtable, venting their anguish over the confronting political situation that ruined economy and denied more than half of electorates from their right to choose their representatives.
They emphasised that ruling and opposition camps should reach an understanding to hold an election participated by all for the sake of democracy and observed that there should be a package-deal between the confronting camps deferring polls and calling off violent demonstrations.
They said it was the time for the people to assert their voices and many called for announcement of programmes against holding election on January 5 and devise sustainable mid-term and long-term measures to address such crisis that arises before every election.
Some of them also pressed for sending delegation to both the prime minister and the opposition leader to apprise them of the sentiment of citizens or holding demonstration at their offices for immediate resolution of the crisis.
Most of the speakers said that the January 5 parliamentary polls could not be dubbed as an election as candidates got elected unopposed in more than half of the constituencies and there would actually be no contest in the remaining constituencies as the candidate other than Awami League there had no influence on voters.
The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam said that in five constituencies of Dinajpur, contestants other than the Awami League were from Workers Party of Bangladesh who had bagged around 1,500 votes in the past three elections.
Mahfuz proposed calling the ninth parliament into session before expiry of its tenure to amend the constitution to pave the way for holding an inclusive election under a person acceptable to all and the opposition should have to join that session.
He said the president could be made head of the election-time government as he was more or less acceptable.
Jurist Rafique-ul Huq said that there was no way to cancel the January 5 polls but it could be deferred. ‘We will have to resolve our problems, it cannot be solved by anyone from outside. Both the leaders should discuss and resolve the crisis,’ he said.
Academician Abdullah Abu Sayeed felt that discussion on the issue would yield no result as none of the two leaders would hear the voices. He said that following the fall of a military autocrat in 1990, democratic autocracy had been established and it was much tough to unseat the democratic autocrats than unseating a military autocrat.
‘The article 70 of the constitution is solely responsible for creating democratic autocrats as it made parties larger than state,’ he said.
A frustrated former president of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Annisul Huq, said the only solution to him was self-immolation.
‘I do not see any way of resolution. ‘Politicians have forgotten the sense of embarrassment. Now they roam behind the autocrat whom they had unseated. We have lost the courage to speak,’ he said.
Former adviser to caretaker government Mainul Hossain said that nowhere in parliamentary system, elections were held keeping lawmakers in office. ‘This is not election at all. It has to be cancelled,’ he said.
One-party election would be held till the 15th amendment to the constitution is in place, Mainul said observing that the amendment was made to implement the unfinished plan of the fourth amendment.
He ridiculed Sheikh Hasina for adopting styles of Pakistani autocrat Ayub Khan by inviting opposition to form all party government by sharing seats.
Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzman called on the government to postpone the election for the sake of the nation.
Communist Party of Bangladesh advisory council member Manjurul Ahsan Khan said that the key reason behind current situation was emergence of a new class of looters exploiting state power.
He said that two issues of war crimes trial and holding an acceptable election were intentionally messed up. The spirit of independence war cannot be upheld by ruining democracy, he said.
Former adviser to caretaker government Syed Manzur Elahi apprehended that religious extremists would take over the country if the politicians failed to resolve the crisis.
Former adviser Tapan Chowdhury appealed for doing something right the moment saying that otherwise it would be tough for employers to pay the employees. He said many enterprises began closing down for lack of transportation of products and supply of raw materials.
The lone representative from ruling camp, post and telecommunications minister Rashed Khan Menon said he was stunned that voice of citizens did not echo the issue of war crimes trial comparing to the issue of holding election. He said the crisis was nothing new and it did not emerge in a single day.
He also said that the proposal of holding session of the current parliament to devise mechanism for holding inclusive election could be considered if it was ensured that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party would contest it. ‘But I am not sure whether laws would mandate it. Jurists are here, they can say it,’ he said.
BNP vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said that in three meetings mediated by the UN, the BNP had asked for deferring the polls schedule and till then none was declared elected uncontested but the Awami League did not pay heed to it.
He said that there was no problem on the part of BNP if any delegation from the meeting wanted to meet the BNP chief. ‘But, I do not think police will allow you. The chairperson has been kept totally isolated,’ he said.
BNP standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman said that the election must be stopped to save democracy. ‘If it requires another war, we should go for it like 1971,’ he said.
Dhaka University professor Asif Nazrul said that the election should be deferred and the prime minister should not head the election-time government as all authorities remain vested in her. He also called for reconstituting the Election Commission and forcing the parties not to nominate corrupts and goons.
Former advisers to caretaker government Hossain Zillur Rahman and Rokia Afzal Rahman, Citizens for Good Governance secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, Centre for Policy Dialogue executive director Mustafizur Rahman, Dhaka University professor emeritus Anisuzzaman, political scientist Rownak Jahan, former diplomat Faruk Sobhan, Adivasi Forum secretary Sanjeeb Drong, columnist Syed Abul Maksud, Mahila Parishad president Ayesha Khanam, cultural activist Lubna Mariam, daily Manabzamin editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, News Today editor Reazuddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association executive director Syeda Rizwana Hasan, lawyers Subrata Chowdhury and Rana Dasgupta, Democracywatch executive director Taleya Rahman and Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman Andaleeve Rahman also spoke at the programme among others.
Economist Rehman Sobhan presided over the roundtable held at Lakeshore Hotel in Gulshan which was moderated by Debapriya Bhattachariya.
Published in The Daily Sun
Civil society calls for postponing Jan 5 polls
Staff Correspondent
Top civil-society groups joined voice to call for postponing the January 5 parliamentary election and urged the ruling and opposition alliances to reach a mutual understanding to put an end to the ongoing political impasse.
While speaking at a roundtable discussion styled ‘Bangladesh in Crisis, Thoughts of Civilians’ at a hotel in the city Saturday, the campaigners for good governance said they were worried over the mounting political crisis triggered by the rigid stances of the rival political alliances over the poll-time administration.
Prominent economist and public intellectual Prof Rehman Sobhan chaired the meet, organised jointly by Centre for Policy Dialogue, Ain O Salish Kendra, Sushashoner Jonne Nagorik and Transparency International, Bangladesh.
Speakers at the function said common people are not feeling safe as the political confrontation often turns violent that left many people killed, burnt or injured.
The discussants also said the January 5 parliamentary polls will not bring any positive result for the nation as it is going to be held without the participation of the main opposition.
The top civil society members held the discussion in the very day the ruling Awami League unveiled its election manifesto and a day before the BNP-led 18-Party alliance is set to hold the ‘March for Democracy’ to Dhaka in a bid to resist the polls.
The civil society members said the crisis is deepening day-by-day while Dhaka has been delinked from other parts of the country by halting the movements of buses and ferries to the capital ahead of the ‘March for Democracy’ programme.
Some leaders of the two major political alliances also spoke at the roundtable and showed determination in respective stance of making the ‘March for Democracy’ a success and thwarting it.
They also oppose each others’ opinions over holding the 10th parliamentary election and blamed each other for the current political crisis.
On behalf of the opposition BNP-led alliance, Shamser Mobin Chowdhury, Barrister Rafiq-ul-Huq, Lt. Gen (Rtd.) Mahbubur Rahman attended and spoke at the discussion while workers Party Chief Rashed Khan Menon of the ruling alliance took part in the discussion.
Among the civil society members, Dr Monjur Elahi, Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Prof Asif Nazrul, journalist Reaz Uddin Ahmed and Enam Ahmed Chowdhury spoke at the discussion.