“The political party comes to power, which enjoys the blessings of the Army. Both the Awami League and the BNP try to get blessing of the army to go to power. The nexus among the Awami League, the BNP and the Army has to be stopped. Otherwise, democracy can’t flourish in the country,” said Prof Dr Imtiaz Ahmed at a seminar in the city on Saturday.
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organized a seminar on “Political Parties and Democracy in Bangladesh” at city’s BRAC Centre Inn with its chairman Professor Rehman Sobhan in the chair.
The county is also under political dynasty, which goes against good governance, Dr. Imtiaz who is also a political analyst said. “All the noted and talented politicians did not have family connections. But, the top leaders of our political parties, are now coming from political families,” he observed.
Tragedy can’t be used repeatedly for political gain, he said adding India’s Congress could not return to power, as they have no tragedy this time, he said. The country has to free itself from the domination of dynasty in politics, he observed.
CPD in its observation said that the political parties have to stop using state machinery and state resources to reward party men and punish opponents to promote democracy in the country.
The CPD further observed that the rule of law can’t be established unless the parties refrain from using the state to promote partisan interest. “Democracy can sustain only when parties make a credible commitment to promote democracy and practice democracy,” CPD’s fellow Raunaq Jahan said in her keynote paper presented at the seminar.
The parties also have to stop the practice of boycotting parliament when they are in the opposition, she said adding that they need to make parliament the focal point of holding the government accountable.About political dynasty, Raunaq Jahan said all the major parties like AL, the BNP, the Jatiya Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami practice dynastic politics.
The talented persons, she said, are losing their interest in politics for this trend. At least seven relatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are now in the Parliament, she said while relatives of Khaleda Zia and HM Ershad were also elected Member of the Parliament. Members of political families also choose other parties for strategic reasons for their survival, she said. In this context, she mentioned the name of Selima Rahman of BNP and Rahsed Khan Menon of Workers Party who are sister and brother.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, BNP leaders Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Ameer Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Shirin Akhter MP, former Chief Election Commissioner Dr Shamsul Huda, Sujon secretary Badiul Alam Majumder and CPD Executive Director Prof Mustafizur Rahman among others, also spoke.
Political leaders of rival parties blamed each other for absence of democratic practice in their respective parties.
Tofail Ahmed said that BNP does not practice democracy in its own party. “We feel bad when we don’t see BNP in the Parliament.”
Moudud Ahmed said that the Awami League is behaving in an undemocratic manner with the BNP and other opposition parties. The government is not allowing the BNP to express its views through holding public rallies. Anisul Islam Mahmud said the political parties have to practice democracy within their own organisations to help flourish democracy. Unfortunately, none speaks about it strongly, he said.
