‘Authoritarian shadows loom if Charter ignored’
Election analyst Badiul Alam Majumdar on Tuesday cautioned that Bangladesh could face a return to authoritarian tendencies if the political processes and institutional structures that enabled the rise of Sheikh Hasina remain unchanged.
“If you walk the old path, you cannot reach a new destination—this is clear,” he said, adding that it appears the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) may be following a similar trajectory.
Badiul Alam made the remarks at a roundtable discussion titled “Why is the implementation of the July National Charter essential?” held at the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) auditorium in Dhaka.
The event was organised by Citizens for Good Governance (SHUJAN) and attended by political analysts, university teachers, and civil society representatives.
Addressing the discussion, the SHUJAN secretary emphasised that
implementing the July National Charter is essential to prevent a repeat of past political developments that led to authoritarian governance.
“Implementing the July National Charter is essential because we do not want to walk the old path. We do not want to see an authoritarian system again,” he said.
He also expressed concern over what he described as a lack of visible progress in implementing the charter, particularly in relation to the role of BNP in reform-related initiatives.
Referring to the party’s involvement in constitutional reform processes, Badiul Alam said BNP lawmakers have not yet taken oath as members of the Constitution Reform Council and have delayed action on several ordinances while repealing others.
The election reform advocate, who also serves as a member of the National Consensus Commission formed during the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, raised questions about whether political calculations ahead of the next national election were slowing reform efforts.
“Questions arise as to whether there is an expectation of securing a two-thirds majority in the next national election,” he said.
According to Badiul Alam, Bangladesh’s political history shows that overwhelming parliamentary majorities have often produced negative consequences.
He noted that past governments with two-thirds majorities failed to ensure welfare for the people and instead contributed to governance challenges.
He further argued that the July National Charter reflects the will of the people and should therefore be implemented without delay.
“It reflects the people’s decision and is final. There is no room for any ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’ in this regard,” he said.
The roundtable was chaired by former Supreme Court justice MA Matin. Among the speakers were former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, Asif Mohammad Shahan, professor of Development Studies at the University of Dhaka, and Sajjad Siddiqui, professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the same university.
Fahim Mashroor, co-convener of the Citizens’ Coalition, also addressed the event and underscored the importance of consensus-based reforms to strengthen democratic governance and ensure a stable political future for Bangladesh.
