BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Tuesday said political accountability to people can be ensured if Parliament is made effective and its standing committees are allowed to function properly.
He made the remarks while speaking at a programme titled ‘National Election 2026 and Citizens’ Expectations’, organised by Citizen’s Platform at city’s Agargaon.
Amir Khosru said all elements of the so-called ‘new political arrangement’ already exist within the Constitution, stressing that the real challenge lies not in the constitutional framework but in political practice.
“The most important issue is ensuring accountability of politicians. If politicians are accountable to the people, many problems can be resolved easily.”
He said that people have largely lost trust in politicians, adding that restoring public confidence is solely the responsibility of political leaders. “A significant portion of that trust can be regained through accountability alone.”
Highlighting the role of parliamentary democracy, Khosru said accountability must be ensured not only through Parliament but also beyond it, involving the private sector, civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“There must be a partnership between the government and civil society, NGOs and the private sector. If civil society is not facilitated or allowed to function, it should be understood that the government is gradually moving towards authoritarianism,” he said.
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Referring to parliamentary reforms, he said Bangladesh follows the Westminster model, which functions smoothly in the UK. “If the same principles create problems here, the fault lies not in the system but in our political culture. Blaming Parliament without making parliamentary committees functional will not work. There is no alternative to effective parliamentary committees.”
On political consensus, Khosru said reforms cannot be carried out by involving everyone indiscriminately. “People do not give a reform mandate to all parties collectively. The party that receives the people’s mandate has the right to reform.”
Calling unanimity in political ideology contrary to democracy, he added, “Your political philosophy and mine do not have to be the same. The beauty of democracy lies in being able to practice politics despite differences.”
The programme was moderated by Citizen’s Platform Convener Debapriya Bhattacharya, who observed that every government enjoys a “honeymoon period” initially when it listens to all stakeholders, but gradually becomes less receptive over time.
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Responding, Amir Khosru said the BNP is already practising accountability in its political programmes. “We do not just deliver speeches and leave. We keep an hour-long question-and-answer session. We want to hear what people want to say and remain connected with them.”
Khosru also praised Citizen’s Platform’s Reform Tracker system, saying the era of political rhetoric is over. “Now is the time to deliver. Any party that fails to understand the aspirations of the people will face an uncertain political future in Bangladesh.”