Ensure people’s right to vote in credible polls: Dr Akbar

Dr Akbar Ali Khan, a former advisor of caretaker government, on Tuesday said the citizens of the country will have to undergo serfdom unless their right to vote in an acceptable election is ensured.“At the present state of the democracy, people can only get the taste of ruling the country for one day every five years when they give the vote. If a fair election is not ensured, they’ll lose even this ‘one-day-rule’ opportunity… they’ll be transformed to serfs,” he said at a discussion.
Akbar Ali made the observartions referring to the harsh criticism he faced a few days back for recommending to hold a referendum if the political parties fail to reach consensus on the election-time government.
The discussion meeting at the Jatiya Press Club was organised by Nagarik Oikya on its first founding anniversary.
The former advisor said that the voters will not take a wrong decision if they are given the chance to exercise their franchise freely.
The referendum on election-time government is needed to give the people a chance to come up with the right solution to the present political crisis, he added.
Akbar Ali observed that the present political system of the country is getting complicated day by day mainly due to the centralisation of power.
“In the current political system, all the power is concentrated in the central government and the local governments have become its subservient. Inside the central government, the power is concentrated in a few offices,” he said, adding that the prime minister enjoys absolute power.
“Mughal rulers did not enjoy such absolute power. Even the Tsars (of Russia) had no such power, which the Prime Minister of Bangladesh has,” he said, recommending that the power be decentralised and brought to the level of the people to change the state of politics in the country.
Chaired by Nagarik Oikya convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna, the meeting was addressed by Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) president Mujahidul Islam Selim, Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Khalequzzaman Bhuiyan and Ganoforum general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu. (Source: UNB)

Leave a Reply