Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), has called on all political parties to clarify their stance on the commitments made in their election manifestos regarding the upcoming referendum.
He made this appeal on Thursday during a discussion on “Inclusive Democracy, Minority Rights, and Electoral Commitments” at CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka.
Badiul Alam said, “To protect democratic culture, the right to vote must be ensured, and inclusion must be achieved. Voters must be able to cast their votes safely and securely, without fear.”
Referring to the electoral commitment as a written contract between political parties and the people, he added, “If there is a breach of the contract, there should be an opportunity to take the matter to court. Political parties have committed to reforms through the consensus commission.”
He further stated that if reforms are not implemented, even elections would not lead to the advancement of democracy.
Badiul Alam emphasised the need to ensure accountability for law enforcement agencies to prevent future incidents like enforced disappearances and killings. He also commented that patriarchal values have triumphed in the agreement regarding reserved seats for women.
Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer said, “We have received some excellent reform proposals, and their implementation will certainly happen. According to Jamaat’s party decision, we will not use the term ‘minority.’ Everyone will be viewed as citizens of Bangladesh.”
He added that Jamaat has a full plan for implementing its manifestos, stating, “It is not enough time to break away from a fascist structure. The reasons behind the rise of mob violence are clear.”
Zubayer also remarked that the desire to stay in power has ruined everything in the country. He said, “There is no alternative to improving the education system for overcoming this situation.”
