Bangladesh News

Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain at a citizen’s rally yesterday announced a 10-point charter for national unity to end the existing political and constitutional crises in the country and establish an effective parliament and constitutional rule.

Speakers at the meeting also called for withdrawing the state of emergency without delay and the holding of a transparent and fair general election to hand over power to the elected representatives of the people to reinstate democracy.

The speakers put emphasis on the withdrawal of the state of emergency so that the ongoing movement for the trial of war criminals of 1971 could spread countrywide.

The charter focuses on ensuring equal rights and human rights to people regardless of their gender and religion. It also focuses on a uniform system of education for everyone, establishing an effective parliament, building the country and the administration system accountable to the people and free from politicisation and extremism.

Gono Forum arranged the meeting titled “National Unity to Meet National Challenges” at the Engineers’ Institution where activists of the organisations from different parts of the city gathered and eminent personalities and intellectuals spoke.

“We must be united to make the independence meaningful and establish people’s ownership of the country as the constitution itself ensures,” said Dr Kamal.

The charter for national unity includes the ensuring of people’s effective representation by honest and competent representatives; a free and fair election that is free from black-money, armed cadres, extremism, and politicisation; the upholding of citizens’ right to information; freedom of press and expression; the ensuring of transparency and accountability in the functioning of all public institutions; and respect for human rights in accordance with the constitution.

It said the abuse of religion for political purposes, which lead to extremism, intolerance and terrorism, must have no place in society. An independent and separated judiciary at all levels must be ensured. Equal access of all to education, health, shelter, and livelihood services should also be ensured.

The charter also recommended national dialogues involving cross sections of the society on different issues including timely holding of elections, relieving people affected by price hike of essentials, helping affected people hit by natural disasters, and dispelling the uncertainty existing in the economy.

The speakers at the meeting blamed the government for its failure to ensure timely supply of agricultural inputs like fertilisers, quality seeds, water and power to the farmers. They also came down heavily on the government for the inadequate food stock which led to the import of food and sent food prices skyrocketing.

“It is the duty of the people to talk about all these so that the country is protected from the people [corrupt people] who virtually destroyed it and made us the victims of their unrelenting greed. The election must be fair so that the people can constitute the parliament,” Kamal added.

“Withdraw the state of emergency at the earliest possible time and establish the rule of democracy through a transparent election. People know whom to vote for and people will do that well,” said Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled, an eminent banker.

“Open economy and restricted social system cannot go together. An open political situation is necessary to end the impasse that brought the progress of the economy to a halt,” he said.

“Many things can be enlivened with arms but the economy is not one of them. Independence and freedom of expression is the way to do this,” he said.

“We expect that in future we will enjoy the good results of the changes that have so far been made. But ending the crises existing in the country and in the international arena, including in our neighbouring countries, will not be possible if the participation of the people is not ensured,” said Shree Ajay Roy, chairman of Sammilito Samajik Andolan.

“Our military took a brave step at the right time to save the country and the entire nation had supported them. But they have failed to keep this support,” said former ambassador Maj Gen (retd) Amin Ahmed Chowdhury.

“We have seen different governments including military governments over the years and now we are seeing a military-backed caretaker government. Our elected government has failed and it does not mean that non-elected government is the solution. We must find a way out,” said M Hafizuddin Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government.

“We have created disputes over so many issues including political ones and spent such a long time on those that we failed to notice that our rice and jute are being destroyed. It is not only because of the darkness prevailing on politics but also due to social darkness,” said Abed Chowdhury, a scientist.

SM Altaf Hossain, Prof Anisuzzaman, Justice Amirul Islam, Secretary of Indigenous People’s Forum Bangladesh Sanjeeb Drong, World Bank representative Dr NI Khan also spoke at the meeting.