The general election cannot be held before trials for the July killings and the implementation of fundamental state reforms, speakers said on Tuesday during a discussion organized by the National Citizen Party (NCP).Titled “Democratic Transformation: Fundamental Reforms and Elections”, the event took place at the National Press Club.Dr Dilara Chowdhury, a former professor of Jahangirnagar University and political scientist, declared: “No election without reforms and justice for the July killings.""If the election is held before justice is served, the country will revert to its former state. But none of us wants that. That is why we must reach a consensus,” she argued. “Those who ordered the killings must be brought to justice at the very least. Although the trial process is a legal matter and may involve international stakeholders, the process must be completed with a basic consensus. Reforms must take place. Only then can elections be held.”
Akhtar Hossain, member secretary of the NCP, said: “There is no point in pitting reform and elections against each other. If elections are held without reforms, it will pave the way for fascism in Bangladesh, just like in the past. To truly realize the uprising that has brought us to this point, we must dismantle the old state structure and embrace a new one.”
He further stated: “The current structure in Bangladesh grants absolute power to the prime minister, allowing the possibility of dictatorship within the constitutional framework. We want the Constitution, laws, and policies of Bangladesh to be rewritten in such a way that there is no scope for authoritarianism or the concentration of power.”
Sarwar Tusher, joint convener of the NCP, claimed that some political parties are opposing reforms unreasonably. He said: “Reform is not just the NCP’s agenda—it is a national agenda. Hold the elections whenever you want within your desired timeframe, but reforms must come first.”NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari said: “We do not want to see another autocratic government in Bangladesh under the disguise of democracy. If we go to elections without going through the reform process, we believe a new form of autocracy will emerge in Bangladesh.”
Calling on the military to refrain from political involvement, he said: “We have already seen how the Bangladesh military has introduced a new narrative in politics. The army chief has said elections must be held in December. But the military has no authority to make such statements. The army should remain in the cantonment.”
Also present at the discussion were AB Party General Secretary Asaduzzaman Fuad, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Presidium Member Ashraf Ali Akon, Constitution Reform Commission Member Sharif Bhuiyan, BIGD Senior Research Fellow Mirza M Hassan, and State Reform Movement leader Syed Hasib Uddin Hossain.