No scope for reforms without democratic process: Khosru

Dhaka, 22 Jan  – BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Wednesday said there is no scope to carry out any reform or change in governance without parliament and the democratic process.

“A demon, fascist and autocrat emerged in the country for lack of accountability to people. They (AL) had taken the ownership of the country by depriving people of their voting rights,” he said while speaking at a discussion.

A group of leaders from BNP’s US chapter arranged the programme on the role of BNP’s overseas chapters in Bangladesh’s democracy and development at the Jatiya Press Club.

Khosru, a BNP Standing Committee member, said people’s rights to vote must be ensured first to restore their ownership of the country. Only an elected government and parliament can bring about any change in the country with the people’s mandate, he said.

“There’s no scope to bring any change or implement reforms bypassing the democratic process. Democracy is a correction and filtration process,” the BNP leader said.

He said no one has the right to implement any reform proposal without public mandate. “If you think you are eager to bring any special change, you have to have the mandate from people to do so. You have to place your proposal before parliament and pass it into a law through discussions and debate there. This is the process, and there’s no other way to do that.”

The BNP leader said 20 wise people cannot determine the future fate of Bangladesh and what the nation should do by sitting together without the mandate of the people.

He also said the country’s people will not accept anything done sidetracking democracy and the democratic process, and warned that any move ignoring the democratic process will create doubt in the public’s mind.

The BNP leader said it will be difficult to ensure normalcy in the country without the restoration of the democratic order.

He said their party has been supporting and cooperating with the interim government to bring normalcy to the country.

Khosru said a consensus has already been created on some issues, including limiting two terms for the Prime Minister, a bicameral parliament, and a caretaker government. “We can implement the basic things on which a consensus has been created. No one has the right to do anything without consensus.”

He said that if any undemocratic step is taken against the will of people, it will take the country towards the wrong path and pave the way for the revival of Awami fascism.