National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz on Thursday attributed the rise of a fascist regime to the erosion of democratic values, calling for unified efforts to restore true democracy.
“We witnessed the lack of democracy in the governance structure of Bangladesh for the past 53 years and the weakness of the institutions. This is why the fascist regime was established. So, the desire of political parties, civil society, students and people is to establish a democratic state,” he said.
Prof Riaz made the remarks during his introductory speech at a discussion with the Aam Janata Party, held at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad Complex, reports UNB.
He noted that there is now a collective aspiration to build a democratic state in order to prevent the recurrence of tragic incidents such as enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and state repression.
Speaking about the goal of the National Consensus Commission, its vice-chairman said the commission is working to formulate a national charter through inclusive dialogue. “On the basis of it (national charter), the future roadmap of Bangladesh can be built,” he said.
Prof Ali Riaz added that the National Consensus Commission is serving as a catalyst in the broader effort to shape a national roadmap for the country’s future.
An 11-member delegation of the Aam Janata Party, led by its president Moshiuzzaman and general secretary Tarique Rahman, attended the dialogue, which began at 10:30 am, with Prof Ali Riaz presiding over the session.
Members of the Consensus Commission, including Safar Raj Hossain, Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, and Dr Iftekharuzzaman, were also present. The discussion was moderated by Monir Haider, special assistant to the chief adviser.
Out of the 166 major recommendation points compiled by the consensus commission, the Aam Janata Party agreed to 138, partially agreed to 15, and disagreed with the remaining 12.
On March 20, the National Consensus Commission initiated its dialogues with political parties to build national consensus around reform initiatives introduced by the interim government.
So far, the commission has held talks with 14 political parties, including the BNP and the National Citizen Party (NCP).
The commission, established under the leadership of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, aims to foster a unified position on key reforms essential for the country's democratic transformation.
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
