United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday said Bangladesh’s sustainable progress and development can be ensured through an effective and strong democratic system. “We believe that sustainable progress and development of the country can be ensured through an effective and strong democratic system,” he said during a courtesy meeting with Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretary Anda Filip at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh restored democracy after a long struggle and expressed optimism about strengthening the democratic system further, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin. “We are very happy that after a long struggle, we have been able to restore democracy in the country. We have struggled for democracy for a long time,” he said. The Prime Minister said many leaders and activists of his party were subjected to enforced disappearances and killings during the struggle for democracy while around 40 lakh party leaders and activists faced false cases. “Finally, through the February 12 election, we were able to pave the way for democratic practice in the country,” he said. Tarique said BNP restored not only multiparty democracy but also parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh. “There are still some challenges ahead of us. But we are optimistic and firmly committed to democracy. People’s expectations from democracy are very high,” he said. The Prime Minister said his government is working to protect the constitutional rights of every citizen and ensure necessary services for people. Anda Filip praised Tarique’s leadership and his regular participation in parliamentary sessions, saying it sends a strong message of his commitment to parliamentary democracy. The IPU secretary said she had read BNP’s election manifesto and praised its initiatives in the education sector and community-based programmes. She also praised Bangladesh’s progress in parliamentary democracy, saying continued progress in this area would further strengthen public confidence in state institutions and the democratic system. Anda said the IPU is interested in further strengthening cooperation and exchanging experiences with the Bangladesh Parliament. She hoped the participation of the Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament in the 153rd IPU Assembly in Tanzania would further strengthen relations between the IPU and Bangladesh Parliament.