Speakers at a discussion here on Thursday stressed the need for a national consensus in favour of attaining a democracy aligned with the aspirations of the student-led mass uprising.
They also emphasised rebuilding the state institutions that were totally hollowed out during ‘fascist’ Sheikh Hasina’s rule, a wholesale change in political culture, and ensuring internal democracy within political parties for the sake of a genuine democracy in the country.
The discussion titled “Journey towards Democracy: Imminent Challenges and Ways to Overcome” was held at the Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad auditorium of Bangla Academy in the capital.
Bangladesh Research Analysis and Information Network (BRAIN) and Adarsha Publications jointly arranged the event.
Addressing the discussion, law adviser Asif Nazrul framed the discussion on two types of democracy – 'minimum democracy' and 'enriched democracy'.
“If we want an enriched democracy, we’ll have to carry out some reforms,” he said, adding that every institution was totally destroyed in the hands of Sheikh Hasina.
Noting that thousands of people sacrificed their lives during the mass uprising, he said it would not be enough for the interim government to just hold an election and leave behind what would be a 'minimum democracy'.
"We will have to ensure that the judiciary can remain independent, that the opposition parties can play their due role in parliament, the prime minister cannot turn fascist, and so on," Asif Nazrul said.
The law and parliamentary affairs adviser said he didn’t believe that so many people sacrificed their lives just for a 'minimum democracy'.
“We will have to implement some reform tasks to reflect public expectations for an enriched democracy,” he said.
Mentioning that there is a lack of patience here, he asked the people to stay patient as they did in the last 16 years during the previous government’s misrule.
Welcoming criticism of his government, Asif Nazrul asked the critics to place solutions alongside criticism.
“We strongly need unity. If there is no unity,… all our possibilities will be ruined,” he said.
He said the Awami League killed thousands of dissidents including members of Jasod and the Sarbaharas after the Liberation War. The first victim of enforced disappearance was a sector commander of the Liberation War, Major Jalil, and the first victim of extra-judicial killing in Bangladesh was Siraj Sikder - both under Awani League.
“There is fascism in the DNA of Awami League. I thought about it sometimes in the past, but now there is no doubt for me. There is fascism in the DNA of this party,” he said.
Head of the Constitution Reform Commission Prof Ali Riaz said building back the state institutions is the first challenge for marching toward democracy from dictatorship.
He said the institutions were gradually destroyed in a bid to establish an autocracy in the last 15 years in Bangladesh.
“Many say democracy is a unity. But I say no, democracy is rather a way to create many opinions. Democracy is to ensure an arrangement where I will be able to stay with you expressing my differences,” he said.
Disagreeing with the notion of traditional national unity, he said, “There should be a national unity where we’ll agree on a number of issues and express differences of opinion on many issues.”
Dr Riaz, a distinguished Professor of Political Science at Illinois State University in the US, said there should be a realization among the political parties to correct themselves for the sake of genuine democracy.
Talking about the second challenge in the journey towards democracy, he said the political parties alongside the country must be accountable.
“The country can’t be held accountable, without making the political parties accountable,” he said.
About other challenges, the political analyst also said it needs to change political culture and create a cultural environment to build the country aligned with public aspirations.
Political analyst Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, said a 'minimum democracy' should be ensured first on the march towards an 'enriched democracy' over time.
Also a member of the Electoral Reform Commission, Dr Zahed said 'too high' expectations may create a problem in the country amid the current situation.
“We will have to leave utopian thoughts (dreams) behind. We’ll have to march forward with pragmatism,” said Dr Zahed.
Journalists Monir Haider and Shahedur Rahman, coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam and Umama Fatema, political analyst Saied Abdullah, BRAIN Executive Member Sadik Mahbub and Publisher of Adarsha Mahbub Rahman also spoke on the occasion.