Strong orgs urgent to protect democracy
BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Wednesday said the current Parliament could become a milestone in Bangladesh’s democratic history if democratic institutions are built on strong foundations.
“Our key responsibility now is institutional building,” he said while addressing a round-table discussion titled “The Current National Parliament: A New Milestone in Democratic Politics” at a city hotel.
The event was organised by Citizen’s Forum, Bangladesh, and chaired by former Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Anwarullah Chowdhury.
Moyeen Khan said the future of democracy in Bangladesh depends on strengthening institutions capable of protecting democratic values.
“If we can strengthen our democratic institutions on solid foundations for the future of democracy in Bangladesh, this Parliament will certainly remain a milestone in the country’s democratic history,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with the United States, the BNP leader said democratic institutions built over centuries help sustain governance even during political uncertainty.
“In Bangladesh, after more than 50 years, we must ask ourselves what democratic institutions we have truly built,” he said.
He said the present Parliament carries an additional responsibility to establish durable democratic institutions for the future. However, he noted that it was still too early to say whether this Parliament would ultimately emerge as a milestone.
“Time will say whether this Parliament becomes a new milestone. But I believe the sacrifices made by people during the movement against authoritarianism created an opportunity to move Bangladesh forward through democratic institutions,” Moyeen Khan said.
Referring to the duties of lawmakers, he said the primary role of MPs is lawmaking, but in countries like Bangladesh, parliamentarians are also expected to address public demands at the grassroots level.
“In our context, MPs have to do everything from lawmaking to solving people’s immediate social problems,” he said.
He also questioned how effectively lawmakers could fulfil their legislative duties while handling a large number of laws and ordinances. He referred to discussions over 133 ordinances promulgated during the interim administration and said MPs had to review and pass many laws within a limited time.
Despite the challenges, Moyeen Khan expressed hope that the current Parliament, formed after a period of sacrifice and struggle, could work for people’s welfare.
“Democracy survives through continuous struggle and vigilance. There is no opportunity to sleep comfortably if we want to protect democratic values,” he said.
He also stressed the need to balance majority rule with respect for minority opinions.
Prof Dr Burhan Uddin Khan, chairman of Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs, presented the keynote paper at the event.
Economist Prof Mahbub Ullah, Shujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, UGC Chairman and Citizen’s Forum Chief Coordinator Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed, among others, also spoke.
