Interim Govt should do basic reforms and call elections

Prof. Anwarullah Chowdhury, former VC Dhaka University speaking at a discussion on citizens expectations of the Interim Government over reform of the statecraft and the next election on Wednesday.

Speakers at a discussion meeting on Tuesday urged the Interim Government of Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus to do the basis reforms of the state needed to hold free and fair election and leave the details to be decided by the next elected government.

The discussion meeting on Citizens’ expectations of the Interim Government over reforms of the statecraft and the next elections was organized by the Jatiyatabadi Sangskritik Dal at the Reporters Unity Auditorium. Prof, Anwarullah Chowdhury, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University was the chief guest at the function which was presided over by Humayun Kabir Bepari, president of the Sangskritik Dal.

Prof. Sukomol Barua, of Dhaka University, who is also an adviser to the BNP Chairperson, Prof. Abdul Latif Masum, former VC of Patuakhali University, senior Journalist Abdul Hye Sikdar, editor of GreenWatch Dhaka Mostafa Kamal Majumder and former president of Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha Rezabuddaulah Chowdhury took part in the discussion. 

Prof. Anwarullah Chowdhury said that it would not be possible for the Interim Government to address all reforms that are needed to be done to restore democracy in the country. It should do the basic reforms and leave the rest to be done by the next Parliament which also should endorse the reforms done by the IG.

Regarding other tasks of the Interim government Prof Chowdhury said BNP leaders were still carrying the burdens of the unjust cases filed by the last caretaker government in 2007-2008 although all such cases filed against AL leaders were withdrawan soon after the AL government came to power in 2009. It is a great injustice that BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman were awarded punishments in fabricated cases of that time. The Interim government should do away with this injustice by withdrawing the cases filed under the last caretaker government.

Prof. Sukomol Barua dwelt on the politics of unity pursued by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman by introducing Bangladeshi Nationalism. Before that time the Hill people and other enthnic groups speaking in languages other than Bangla had been left out as they in no way could identify themselves as Bengalis.

Prof Abdul Latif Masum said that while reforming the electoral system the government should keep in mind the people’s perceptions about elections. Refering a demand for proportional representation raised by some parties, he said it’s good, but the people of Bangladesh were traditionally tuned to the system of territorial representation and voting for candidates of their choice. Sudden change to a new system won’t be liked by the people, he said.

Abdul Hye Sikdar said that the next elected government in Bangladesh would be a national government as BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has in his latest statements underlined the need for such a government to carry forward the needed reforms in all sectors of the society. 

Mostafa Kamal Majumder said that the major changes to the Constitution done by the previous government can be reverted by pursuing a writ filed against the 15th Amendment that did away with the system of election under a caretaker government and by enforcing the SC verdict given against the 16th Amendment to retain the control of the judiciary by a supreme judicial council instead of the Parliament.

He also underlined the recovery of weapons distributed by the AL government to its workers to restore peace in the political process. Instead of giving fire arms to workers of other political parties it’s wise to recover those given to workers of only one party. – GreenWatch News Desk