Senior Joint Convenor of the National Citizen Party (NCP) Samantha Sharmin said that many old political equations and several parties will be absent in the forthcoming election, resulting in the emergence of new alignments.
"We will witness many surprises in the upcoming election. We ourselves might be surprised,” she said. However, she is hopeful that the NCP will perform well in the upcoming election.
Emphasizing complete eradication of the tendency to establish authoritarianism through elections, the NCP leader said, “The aspiration of the July revolution is fundamentally about reform. Reforming the entire structure of the state is crucial. In the changed circumstances, political parties may now feel that they are not entirely safe under the state apparatus. Ultimately, all security lies with the people. If we realize this, resolving differences will become easier.”
Samantha Sharmin made these statements during a recent interview with Bangladesh Pratidin on contemporary issues.
The full interview is presented below, verbatim:
Bangladesh Pratidin: The Chief Adviser has said the election will be held between December and June. What is your party’s stance regarding this?
Samantha Sharmin: After the accomplishment of the important reforms, elections should be held as per the timeline announced by the Chief Adviser. In this context, the next election should be a Constituent Assembly election. This is the only logical approach. Political parties can discuss how we can proceed towards that.
Bangladesh Pratidin: What will be your approach regarding reforms and elections?
Samantha Sharmin: We do not see reforms and elections as opposing paths. In order to ensure a fair election, the necessary critical reforms must be implemented. Additionally, we must remember and consider the context in which we witnessed the July Revolution. Since Bangladesh’s independence, elections have often been used to establish authoritarianism in the name of democracy. Our country's youth have repeatedly sacrificed their blood to free the nation from the clutches of dictatorship. The democratic structures of the state must be properly reformed. The tendency to establish authoritarianism through elections must be uprooted this time. The core aspiration of the July Revolution is fundamentally about reform. Reforming the structure of the entire state is extremely important.
Bangladesh Pratidin: There has been disagreement among parties on many fundamental reform issues. How will you negotiate with them?
Samantha Sharmin: Political parties have concerns over certain aspects of the reform agenda. We also have concerns. Despite differences over the reform process, everyone is participating. We believe that these disagreements should be resolved through mutual dialogue. We do not view disagreements negatively. However, becoming inflexible over certain matters is not reasonable — the same applies to us. Nonetheless, there are some issues where we must reach a consensus. On certain fundamental matters, there is no room for disagreement. Unfortunately, some political parties are creating disagreements even on these fundamental points, which is undesirable.
Bangladesh Pratidin: How hopeful are you that a solution will be reached through dialogue?
Samantha Sharmin: I am hopeful. Politically, we are burdened with the weight of past histories. That is one reality. Yet, we also want to focus on possibilities. If political parties come together and take steps towards holding an election for the betterment of Bangladesh and to give the people a new start, much will become easier for us. In the changed circumstances, political parties may feel unsafe in many aspects under the state's structure. Ultimately, security lies only with the people. If we can understand this, overcoming differences will be easier.
Bangladesh Pratidin: If elections are held within the timeframe announced by the government, what will be the NCP’s preparation?
Samantha Sharmin: Before the election, there are several important stages that all political parties must pass through. Those who have already been registered have completed many of these stages. Many new parties have also obtained registration. We have not yet been registered. Therefore, we have several important steps to complete before the election. As a political party, we are ready to contest elections at any time.
Bangladesh Pratidin: How will you proceed in electoral politics? How many candidates will you nominate? Will you form alliances or field candidates independently?
Samantha Sharmin: We have not yet decided on nominations. We are still thinking from an organizational perspective. Currently, there are 300 constituencies. However, this number may increase or decrease. Ultimately, it depends on what decisions the consensus commission makes. Every political party targets to field candidates in all constituencies — so do we. Success will be determined by time. The political situation often changes before elections, so it is difficult to comment on it now.
Bangladesh Pratidin: Already, your party and several senior leaders have been involved in some controversies. What is your assessment of these matters?
Samantha Sharmin: There is a lot of discussion about these matters on social media. We also have discussions about them in our party forums. These issues are always on our radar. We evaluate the reactions and actions around everything. This is part of a healthy democratic culture for a political party. It will prevent any party or individual from becoming autocratic. It doesn't seem right for social media to become the main arena for politics. Although we have seen that social media played a crucial role during the uprising, now we need to lean towards more responsible and wiser politics.
Bangladesh Pratidin: There is a lot of discussion about forming alliances with larger parties like BNP and Jamaat for the upcoming elections. How do you view this?
Samantha Sharmin: This is a very promising development. Even though it is a new party, people are taking the NCP seriously. This is the result of the students and people's uprising. We feel the responsibility for that. I hope that in the upcoming elections, we will see some new alignments in the vote calculation. There are many old political equations, and several sides that will be absent from the next election. We expect to see new equations, which will also impact the elections. I think there will be many surprises in the upcoming elections, and we might be surprised ourselves. I hope the NCP does well.
Bangladesh Pratidin: There are many different formulas being discussed about the election. The most talked about one is the Minus Formula. What is your party's stance on this?
Samantha Sharmin: These are just rumors. The NCP has no official stance on this. BNP has spoken about it, but I do not expect such large parties like BNP to pay heed to these kinds of rumors. This situation is not happening.
Bangladesh Pratidin: What advice do you have for the government at this moment?
Samantha Sharmin: For the past few months, I have been talking about controlling the prices of essential goods and improving law and order. If the government takes these two issues seriously, it will achieve success in many other areas. Additionally, speeding up the judicial process for those responsible for the killings after the uprising is the most important for the post-uprising government. It’s also crucial to ensure that the judicial process is being conducted properly. Driving forward important reform processes is essential. Along with this, preparations for the elections can continue.
Bangladesh Pratidin: People's Uprising or Revolution – how does the NCP view this?
Samantha Sharmin: We have seen this question come up repeatedly. First, it seems to be a theoretical question. Essentially, a revolution was hoped for from the people’s uprising. If we were to be more specific, it was a student-people's uprising. To define it more clearly, the people’s participation is meant by 'people'. Some want to call it a people’s uprising, but not a revolution. The intention behind this is not to give too much importance to the term 'revolution'. For us, the blood of one martyr, twenty martyrs, or even the blood of millions of martyrs makes no difference. We believe the desire behind this bloodshed was for a revolution, a radical reform, and to reshape Bangladesh. This was an uprising driven by the hope of revolution.
Bangladesh Pratidin: What kind of message will you convey to the people in the election?
Samantha Sharmin: We will present a new arrangement to the people, leaving behind the old political systems. Many people want to know what it looks like. This will be clearly stated in our manifesto, political programme, and election promises. Our goal is to build democratic institutions democratically. We will take these agendas to the people of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Pratidin: India has become a major factor in Bangladesh politics. What is the NCP's view on this?
Samantha Sharmin: Unfortunately, no foreign policy has been adopted to safeguard Bangladesh's interests. Professor Yunus is a powerful figure internationally. Since the uprising, he has been speaking up for Bangladesh’s interests and political dignity in the international arena. He represents Bangladesh. Our relationship with India has always been very complicated, and political involvement has been high. In that context, we said that Sheikh Hasina must be returned and brought to justice. By providing her shelter, India has taken a highly questionable stance here. We stand against this. Maintaining Bangladesh's dignity in foreign policy, especially with India, is very important. We do not want to see any foreign policy that compromises Bangladesh's dignity or national integrity. We do not want to see any compromise on that.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
