UNB, Dhaka :
Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi on Sunday said it is nothing but a ‘self-disservice’ to constantly raise issues based on ‘selective evidence’ from opinion polls about political and the recent national election.
“By constantly raising issues based on selective evidence from opinion polls, I think, we’re doing ourselves a self-disservice,” he told a seminar at city’s Brac Centre Inn.
Reminding constitutional compulsion, Gowher also
said pushing for fresh polls, by setting deadlines, is creating instability when the country needs respite and stability. “…but saying it (election) has to be held by 20th of June, 10th of March, 19th of December…it’s creating instability…. the very instability that the election has put an end to it (sic) .” Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) arranged the seminar titled ‘Good Governance in Bangladesh: An Agenda for the Future’ with its President Farooq Sobhan in the chair. Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Heather Cruden also spoke at the inaugural session of the seminar.
The adviser came up with the remark when Heather Cruden, in her speech, referred to a recent poll of the International Republican Institute (IRI) that claimed the majority of Bangladeshis believe the country is headed in wrong direction and non-participatory elections fall short of public expectations.
Dr Gowher said everybody is aware of the limitation of the elections that were held and all are aware that there are certain constitutional compulsions. “We have to understand this compulsion…ultimately whether an election is valid or invalid it’s dependent on the acceptability of people.”
The adviser said the present government is giving priority to strengthen democratic institutions to ensure good governance.
He said the government will be focusing on decentralization so that the local government institutions can function more effectively through ensuring more power and resources for the local government.
