Civil society members, including writers, teachers, artistes, journalists on Saturday termed the forthcoming 12th parliamentary elections an extended model of the 2014 election placing dummy candidates of the ruling Awami League to win unopposed.
They demanded restoration of democracy and voting rights of the citizens in the country at a discussion titled ‘Vote and Future’ at the Biswa Sahitya Kendra in the city.
The speakers said that the country was heading for a one-sided national election boycotted by major opposition parties, including the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
‘The government is hatching a plot to make the next general election an extended model of the 2014 election. They have [AL] created a competitive game among themselves placing independent and dummy candidates so that the voter turnout can be visible in polling centres,’ said
Jahangirnagar University economics department former professor Anu Muhammad.
He said that prime minister Sheikh Hasina was doing such an act to cling to power.
Anu also said that prime minister Sheikh Hasina always claimed that her government had taken zero tolerance policy against corruption although the level of corruption had increased in every sector of the country.
Referring to corruption during the military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad period, he said that the incumbent government corruption had surpassed the Ershad regime.
Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said that the voting game of the government was driving the country towards uncertainty and a serious constitutional crisis.
The speakers said that although the War of Independence in 1971 took place for rejecting the results of the 1970 general election by the then Pakistan government, Bangladesh is heading towards another general election ignoring the spirit of the independence.
They also said that an inclusive movement should be launched engaging women and people from ethnic minority communities in various programmes for the restoration of democracy and people’s rights to vote.
DU international relations professor Tanzim Uddin Khan stated that the United States tried to take advantage by using democracy and human rights as tools.
‘Our election is being discussed in Delhi. Such a situation arises when the ruling party reaches a stage to sacrifice the country’s sovereignty to remain in power,’ said Tanzim Uddin Khan.
Women rights activist Shireen Huq said that the situation would be direr and helplessness of people would increase after the January 7 election.
‘Alongside the authoritarian government, many organisations have also become authoritarian in nature,’ said the co-founder of women rights organisation Naripokkho.
She also said that the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party did not seem to take any constructive initiatives on its part for people’s support.
Dhaka University law professor Asif Nazrul said that the government had been trying to pollute the election system in the country to remain in power.
He feared that the country would become a field of competition for the world’s superpowers after the January 7 election.
Underlining the need for establishing a ‘new republic’, Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki called upon the intellectuals to think about the view more extensively as most institutions of the country had already been spoiled in the absence of democracy.
Chittagong University mass communication assistant professor Khandkar Ali R Razi, Supreme Court lawyer Ainun Nahar, activist Seema Dutta, filmmaker Mohammad Qayyum and journalist Saydia Gulrukh, among others, spoke at the programme.
