Professor Ali Riaz, special assistant to the Chief Adviser, has said establishing an upper house in the bicameral legislature is aimed at preventing the concentration of power in a single individual in the future.
Speaking at a discussion session held on Monday at Dr Kaiser Rahman Chowdhury Auditorium of Rajshahi Medical College to promote the upcoming referendum and encourage voter participation, Prof Riaz said Bangladesh’s current system has repeatedly allowed one person to accumulate power by exploiting institutional weaknesses.
“We must address this issue institutionally rather than rely on any single individual,” he said, adding that the July charter proposes the creation of an upper house in parliament, which would ensure representation of the people and all political parties, as well as reflect broad consensus in constitutional amendments.
Prof Riaz emphasised the vision of a state upholding equality, human dignity, and justice, noting that institutional decay over the past 54 years has repeatedly allowed personal or party interests to undermine governance.
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He praised the role of the youth in creating opportunities through the 2024 popular uprising to prevent the rise of fascism in the future.
Monir Haider stressed that public approval of the July charter through the upcoming referendum is essential to safeguard the future of the next generation and warned that failure to pass the referendum could lead to a return of authoritarianism.
He assured officials that campaigning for ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ votes would face no restrictions, highlighting that the referendum is a collective agenda rather than a candidate election.
The session, chaired by Divisional Commissioner Dr ANM Bazlur Rashid, was attended by special assistant (consensus) Monir Haider, Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr SM Abdur Razzak, Rajshahi Range Police DIG Mohammad Shahjahan, and Rajshahi Police Commissioner Dr Mohammad Zillur Rahman.
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Deputy Commissioners, police superintendents, other government officials, local journalists and civil society members from across Rajshahi division also participated.
Divisional Commissioner Dr Bazlur Rashid highlighted initiatives at divisional, district, and sub-district levels to raise awareness about the referendum and urged all officials to fulfill their responsibilities at this critical juncture.