People do not have voting rights: Speakers
Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Lawyers Council organised a seminar titled ‘Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Bangladesh’. Prominent lawyers and human rights activists said that democracy is being taken away and the rule of law is being violated in the country every moment. People do not have basic human rights. People do not have the right to vote.
The people of the country have seen an example of democracy in Dhaka 17 by-elections, how an election candidate was thrown on the street and beaten. This has proved that fair elections are not possible under the current Awami government. The government is openly blocking the roads and not allowing opposition parties including Jamaat to hold rallies. People are being harassed with false cases through Digital Security Act.
A seminar titled “Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Bangladesh” was held on the initiative of Bangladesh Lawyers Council at Abdus Salam Auditorium of National Press Club on Wednesday. Justice Mohammad Abdur Rouf, former Chief Election Commissioner of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, was present as the chief guest in the seminar. Acting Central President of Bangladesh Lawyers Council Advocate Jasim Uddin Sarkar attended the seminar as a special guest. Professor Nakeeb Mohammad Nasrullah of Faculty of Law of Dhaka University, Dean of Faculty of Law of Rajshahi University Professor Md. Abdul Hannan, General Secretary of Bangladesh Lawyers Council Advocate presented the article. Matiur Rahman Akand.
Advocate Abdur Razzak moderated the seminar, former senior vice-president of Dhaka Lawyers Association Advocate SM Kamal Uddin, Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Yusuf Ali, Central Publicity Secretary of Bangladesh Lawyers Council Advocate Dr. Helal Uddin, former vice-president of the Supreme Court Lawyers Association, prominent human rights activist advocate Dr. Golam Rahman Bhuia, Former Senior Co-Editor of Dhaka Bar Association Advocate Mohammad Main Uddin, Former Co-Editor of Supreme Court Bar Association Advocate Saifur Rahman, Former Vice President of Supreme Court Bar Association Advocate Abdul Baten, Former Co-Editor of Supreme Court Bar Association Advocate Rezaul Karim Khandkar, Former Treasurer of Dhaka Lawyers Association Advocate Abu Bakar Siddique, Central Human Rights Secretary of Bangladesh Lawyers Council Advocate Shafiqur Rahman, Former Vice President of Supreme Court Lawyers Association Advocate Jalal Uddin Bhuiya.
Advocate Lutfar Rahman, Advocate Moin Uddin Farooqui, Advocate Abdul Karim and other eminent lawyers were also present.
Former Chief Election Commissioner Justice Abdur Rauf said that democracy and socialism have been inserted simultaneously in the constitution of Bangladesh. One to another relationship is like oil and water. This has now become a problem in the state.
Socialism and democracy are two opposite things. Local government elections in England are public.
In America, the ballot papers are printed and reached to the voters 2 months in advance. Due to the lack of rule of law and human rights in the country today, problems are appearing everywhere. A good society cannot be established with bad laws. He urged everyone to fulfill their human duty properly.
In the president’s speech, Acting Central President of Bangladesh Lawyers Council, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court, Advocate Jasim Uddin Sarkar said that if we have good character and justice, we can play a role in the development of society. We have to fight unitedly to change the current state system.
Advocate Matiur Rahman Akand, the presenter of the article, said that for the past 15 years, the people of Bangladesh have been victims of the terrible abuse of power by the executive department. Misrule and totalitarianism have become the hallmarks of the regime.
A growing culture of impunity has accelerated repression and persecution of political opponents of authoritarian regimes.
Democracy and the rule of law are far-fetched in the country, despite prominent provisions in the constitution of Bangladesh to protect the rights of citizens. The independence of the judiciary is now a distant dream that is unlikely to materialize.
He also said that the largest Islamic party in Bangladesh, the Amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, represented in almost all parliaments in the past. Shafiqur Rahman has been in jail for 26 months three times in the last 14 years and was in police remand for 55 days.
Naib Amir, former MP Maulana Anam Shamshul Islam has been imprisoned for 26 months in four rounds in the last 14 years and was in police remand for 12 days.
Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Parwar has been in jail for 7 years and 5 months in the last 14 years and has been in police remand for 33 days. He was arrested in one case after another and kept in prison.
This is a glaring example of Bangladesh’s abuse of police power and prolonging illegal detention. In police custody, political leaders and workers are subjected to not only physical torture, but also mental torture and humiliation. It is easy to imagine that torture and harassment will be carried out against opposition politicians to prevent them from participating in the upcoming elections.
