Election main gateway to democratic system: Fakhrul

The institutions and necessary structures of the government need to be repaired first to make them suitable for democracy so that democracy can be established successfully, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today.

"We will not be able to do anything swiftly and effectively if the responsibilities are taken without repairing the structures," he said while addressing a discussion at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh auditorium in the capital's Khamarbari.

Fakhrul said the BNP had always been in favour of reforms from the beginning.

"However, unfortunately, some speeches claim that the BNP does not want reform, which is untrue. We want to quickly implement the necessary reforms for a healthy and impartial election," he added.

"Why are we talking about elections? Because the election is the main gateway, the door to entering a democratic system, and another step towards democracy," said the BNP secretary general.

"We have worked, are working, and will continue to work for it [democracy and reform]. At the same time, we believe nothing can be achieved by excluding the people. We are committed to working with everyone," he added.

During the discussion, Adilur Rahman, industries adviser to the interim government, said, "What kind of Bangladesh did those who sacrificed their lives want? The allies of fascism are layered one on top of another, repeatedly grasping the national flag."

"We must be prepared to resist, to ensure that fascism can never return," he added.

Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, Mia Golam Parwar, Ambassador Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, and the Chief Co-ordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan, Zonayed Saki, also addressed the discussion.

Mirza Fakhrul said, "We are very sincere about reforms. In 2016, our Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia proposed 'Vision 2030,' which included key reforms. This proposal addressed issues such as limiting the prime minister's tenure to two terms and introducing a bicameral parliament. These ideas have since gained attention."

Commenting on constitutional reforms, Fakhrul mentioned that Dr Ali Riaz, head of the Constitution Reform Committee, had received over 100,000 proposals. He said, "Dr Riaz said these proposals would be handed over to the government, and then discussions with political parties would follow. However, if they had engaged with political parties first, it might have been better."