Protect democracy
Akbar Ali Khan urges all
Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, yesterday said people should come forward to save democracy if political leaders failed to show respect to it.
Dwelling on his last few decades' observation, he said it seemed that political parties came to power for good. ''They think they can do whatever they wish. It is totally against the ideal of democracy.''
The former adviser was addressing a seminar on "ongoing political crisis" at Jatiya Press Club in the capital. Organisation of Social Environment and Human Rights Implementation (OSEH) organised it.
''To overcome any critical situation, it is necessary to recognise that situation. But in Bangladesh, the existence of this situation has not been admitted," he said.
Over the caretaker government issue, Akbar Ali said the participation of the opposition party should be ensured for holding a meaningful election.
Given the present situation, it is unlikely that the main opposition would take part in the polls, and if it does not, the election would be questioned, he said.
He called upon the county's people to raise their voice against this conflicting political situation.
Former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emazuddin Ahmed said the government wished to cling to power, so it did not want caretaker government.
No matter how much powerful the election commission is, it will require the help of the administration, he said, adding that the administration had been partly politicised.
Chairman of OSEH HM Ibrahim Bhuiyan presented the keynote paper, while former lawmaker Abu Hossain Babla chaired the seminar.
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