Speakers at a dialogue: No dictator could be permanent in the past not will be in future

*Ready to give life for democracy: Dr Kamal, *I am also Razakar then: Kader Siddique, *Free election for democratic leadership: Mainul

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Staff Reporter :
Participating in a ‘citizens’ dialogue’, politicians and speakers on Friday said that all the dictators had to quit and no dictator could be permanent in Bangladesh, nor will be in the future.
They also said, there should be an election in the country and it is not under any party political government.
‘Jatiya Oikya Prokria’, a new political forum of Bangladesh, arranged the dialogue at the ‘Mohanagar Natya Moncha’ in the city yesterday.
Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah, Convener of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports and Senior Member of Jatiya Oikya Prokria presided over the dialogue.
Dr Kamal Hossain, Convener of Jatiya Oikya Prokria, attended the programme as the chief speaker while Bikalpadhara Bangladesh President A Q M Badruddoza Chowdhury attended it as the chief guest.
Former Advisor to the Caretaker Government Barrister Mainul Hosein, Krishak Sramik Janata League President Kader Siddique, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh Secretary Retired Major Abdul Mannan, Forward Party Chairman Mostafa Amin, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (SPB) General Secretary Khalequzzaman, Advisor to Nagorik Oikya
S M Akram, President of Biplobi Workers Party Saiful Haque, Acting Gono Forum General Secretary Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, Bikalpadhara Joint Secretary Barrister Omar Faruq, among others, spoke at the dialogue.
Dr Kamal Hossain said, “All the dictators had to quit and no dictator could be permanent in Bangladesh, nor will be in the future.”
“Our Constitution says, people of the country are the owner of the country-no one can deny this. If you cannot deny this then the elected people should form a Parliament. But in our Parliament, 153 members are unelected. What is the way to overcome this situation? Unity of the people, unity of the owners of the country are needed,” he said.
He urged the people to get ready to give life for democracy. He also urged to the government to take steps to transfer the power to the people. “So-called elections, so-called Parliament and so-called democracy as their own wheels will not be happened in the country,” said Dr Kamal.
A Q M Badruddoza Chowdhury said, “No democracy is prevailing in the country. The ruling party is doing meeting but other parties cannot. Why you (ruling party) are so afraid? Why you are afraid to hear the truth?”
“One party will get benefit and others will not get if the election is held without dissolving the Parliament. Is it Democracy,” he said.
Barrister Mainul was most emphatic to say that we do not only want just election but also assurance of democracy under democratic leadership. We have tolerated politics of worshiping leadership. Permanent leadership is autocracy. Our failure to fight worshiping of leaders has brought this type of autocracy now. So, it did not happen suddenly.
He urged all government officers, including police, to be imbibed with the spirit of freedom and respect the rights of others as free citizens. It is shocking that police not only arrest people but also blindfolds them to create total helplessness. To make people live in fear and terror-stricken environment is not freedom.
He said it is most important for all to know what it means to be free only then we all will enjoy freedom. The government servants are to serve the people like a free country.
He emphasised that free election is urgent and essential to save the country from misrule and corruption.
Barrister Mainul insisted that incompetent Vice-Chancellors do not know how to behave like Vice-Chancellors. Women students are thrown out of the halls at midnight; this cannot be acceptable and the unfit VCs must go.
Krishak Sramik Janata League President Kader Siddique said, “If they called our children of razakars then the whole nation is razakar. And then I am also a razakar.”
“153 members of the Parliament are unelected. So, this Parliament is illegal and this government is also illegal. Maximum members of the Parliament do not know about the Constitution and the law. The charge of the custody of the country should be given to those who know about the Constitution and obey it,” he said.
Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah said, society and politics of our country have become corrupt. The hopes of our people are being ruined. So, we have to take steps to remove this corrupt politics.
S M Akram, Advisor to the Nagorik Oikya, said, there will be no change in the government through the normal process of election because the ruling party is not willing to give up the power anyway.
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