Chief adviser’s Special Assistant Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb has said there is no alternative to a referendum to ensure that no future prime minister can become a fascist. He urged everyone to cast a “Yes” vote in the upcoming referendum scheduled for 12 February.
Taiyeb made these remarks as the chief guest during the inauguration of the Meherpur IT Training and Incubation Centre around 11:30am on Friday.
Addressing the event, Taiyeb noted that previous prime ministers held absolute power, acting simultaneously as the leader of parliament, head of government, and head of the cabinet, while also exercising control over the judiciary.
He highlighted that the chief justice was appointed through the prime minister’s authority, and laws were passed in parliament according to their will.
Furthermore, Taiyeb stated that the police administration, Election Commission, and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) could not function independently of the prime minister’s desires, leading to recurring fascism.
“For this reason, the country requires a balance of power, decentralisation, and institutional capacity,” he said.
The special assistant identified two primary issues with the current governance – weak institutions that cannot resist political authoritarianism, and an administration mired in nepotism and corruption.
He warned that unless the judiciary is empowered and the three branches of state – the executive, legislature, and judiciary – are separated, the personal staff and officials of a Prime Minister become more powerful than cabinet ministers and secretaries.
Taiyeb argued that a “Yes” vote is essential to free Bangladesh from these systemic failures, which have seen multiple autocrats over the last 54 years.
Highlighting the sacrifices of the July mass uprising, he stated that after more than 2,000 people gave their lives, a “Yes” vote for change is the only way to prevent a future Prime Minister from turning into a dictator.
Also speaking as a chief guest, Monir Haider, special assistant (Consensus) to the chief adviser, urged the youth not to use the aesthetically pleasing IT park merely for taking photographs.
He emphasised that they must utilise the facility to develop themselves as skilled human resources through various IT training programmes to contribute both nationally and globally.
Monir also stressed the importance of using modern technology to improve agricultural standards in the district.
The event was presided over by Mohammad Saiful Hassan of the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority.
Special guests included Meherpur University Vice-Chancellor Sheikh Bokhtear Uddin, Deputy Commissioner Syed Enamul Kabir, and Superintendent of Police Ujjal Kumar Roy.
The IT park has been constructed by the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority under the IT Training and Incubation Centre (2nd Revised) project at a cost of Tk 68.33 crore.
