Nurul Haque Nur, President of the Gono Odhikar Parishad, has accused the current government which formed through an anti-discrimination movement is now fostering institutionalized discrimination in Bangladesh.
He made these remarks during an emergency press conference held Thursday afternoon at the party’s central office in Purana Paltan, Dhaka.
‘This government, which emerged from an anti-discrimination movement, is now itself establishing structural discrimination,’ Nur said. ‘The four political parties that have been elevated are being treated as first-tier contractors—major players—some of whom aren’t even officially registered. The rest of us are relegated to the status of second-class political actors. This was clear in yesterday’s Chief Advisers’ meeting. We’ve raised this concern before and voiced strong opposition again during that session.’
Issuing a warning, he said, “Unless this discriminatory behavior ends, the government will fail to properly acknowledge the sacrifices made by those who were the true drivers of the mass uprising.”
He acknowledged the role of BNP-Jamaat in the movement but emphasized that regime change did not happen because of them alone. ‘Their contribution is undeniable, but let’s be clear—despite 16 years of effort, they couldn’t bring change. It was our movement that set the stage for this transformation. And yet, we are being severely neglected and disrespected.’
He added, ‘When in crisis, the government turns to us for preventing unrest at the Secretariat, countering propaganda, or resolving emergencies. But when it comes to decisions and policymaking, we are completely excluded. This is clear hypocrisy.’
Nur made it clear that, in his view, ‘Free and fair elections are impossible under the current administrative framework. A complete overhaul is needed for replacing the existing structure with a professional, skilled, and impartial administration.’
Referring to recent unrest at the Secretariat, he said, ‘Criminals infiltrated alongside students and set fire to vehicles. This reflects a catastrophic failure in security. The Home Minister should have resigned. If the government can’t even protect its own administrative hub, how can it ensure the security of the nation?’
He also shared that at one point; their group was trapped in a blockade and had to be rescued by the army. ‘Under such conditions, how can we expect a nationwide election across 300 constituencies to be free, safe, and credible?’
Nur questioned the government’s recent move to open a United Nations human rights office in Bangladesh. ‘Is Bangladesh a war-torn state? Why such a decision, and in whose interest? The government must answer.’
He also criticized the government’s one-sided decisions regarding ports and regional corridors. ‘We’ve said from the beginning—decisions of this magnitude should involve consultation with all political parties. But this government ignored that. Even the previous Hasina government held dialogue on certain national interest issues.’
As a solution, he proposed a regular political dialogue: ‘The government should hold monthly discussions with political parties. This will reduce the existing political divide and bring more balance to the policymaking process.’
The press conference was also attended by Gono Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Rashed Khan, Higher Council member Hasan Al Mamun, and other leaders and activists of the organization.
