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Sunday, May 6, 2018

Restore democracy thru free, participatory polls: discussants



Politicians, academics, lawyers and professionals on Friday at a views exchange programme in Dhaka said that all opposition political parties should unite to restore democracy in the country.

At the programme on ‘Rule of law and democracy’ organised by Supreme Court Bar Association at its Shmsul Haque Chowdhury Hall, they said that democratic rule had been absent after the ‘unilateral and voterless’ national election held on January 5, 2014.

Ganaforum president Kamal Hossain, also a jurist, called on opposition parties to unite to wage a movement to compel the government to hold a free, fair and inclusive national election.     

The government seized the voting rights of the people in the national election in 2014 and the people would allow no repetition of such ‘farcical polls,’ Kamal said.

The government also failed to ensure good governance and initiated autocratic rule.

Supreme Court senior advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain said that the government had destroyed the rule of law. He called on the opposition parties to unite under a platform of ‘Jukta Front’ on the basis of minimum programmes to wage movements.

Zafrullah Chowdhury of Gonoshasthaya Kendra said that the country was being ruled undemocratically in the name of democracy. He called on all the political parties to form a united opposition political platform on the basis of minimum issues.

Senior journalist Mahfuz Ullah said that the Awami League government failed to ensure good governance, introduced the culture of fear and captured the democratic rights of the people. They have also destroyed the judiciary, he added.

Nagarik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said that the government would hold no inclusive, free and fair election and the opposition parties must wage strong movements.

Jurist Shahadeen Malik demanded enactment of a law on appointment of the Supreme Court judges.

Dhaka University law professor Asif Nazrul said that the government did not ensure the democrat rights of the people.

Ganaforum executive president Subrata Chowdhury, also a Supreme Court lawyer said that the democracy in the country would not be reinstated so far the people would not be able to exercise their voting rights.

Lawyer Abdur Razzak Khan, Abdul Matin, among others, took part in the programme, chaired by Supreme Court Bar Association president Zainul Abedin and conducted by its secretary AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan.
  • Courtesy: New Age/May 06, 2018

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