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DHAKA, Dec 1, 2024 (BSS) - BNP Standing Committee member and former Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury today said it would not be pleasant for anyone if a democratic, free, fair and independent environment could not be created this time. 

“At the end of the day, it won’t be pleasant for anyone…  This realization has come to everyone and as such there is no reason for not understanding this realization,” he said.

The former minister made these comments while speaking at the inauguration of a day-long event marking the 30-year journey of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). 
The program, titled “Commemorating Thirty Years of CPD,” was held at BRAC Inn in the capital’s Mohakhali area.

Khasru also said that in the psychological arena among the people of the country there is a massive changed scenario and that is all now want a free and fair society.
 
Speaking about the reforms, he mentioned that it is a must and it is an ongoing process. 

Khosru mentioned that reform is a continuous process and this reform should be a sustained one. “Through the public and political consensus it should be completed, this should be done through a political and democratic process,” he added.
 
He also mentioned that any sort of decision should go through correction and filtration process. “This should be kept in mind that   some people will sit and do the reforms …that type of thinking will not work,” he added. 

He also said that at the end of the day if the people of Bangladesh do not accept those reforms, it would not last long and it would not be sustainable. 

“This should be done through democratic process keeping the fundamental basics intact, democracy means voting one for five years that’s all…everything should have to be sustainable,” he added. 

He also put emphasis on continuous accountability or everyday accountability. The former commerce minister elected from Chattogram said that holding election is not enough, rather participatory system of all stakeholders have to be ensured. 

Talking about the erosion of citizens’ rights, he said that when the rights to vote are stolen, then several other rights are also lost as a consequence. “Democracy is not just about voting; it’s about the daily accountability of an elected government, which has been absent for last 15 years due to stolen voting rights,” he said. 

Khasru alleged that although the caretaker government system was introduced by the political parties, but Sheikh Hasina had thrown it out. 

The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam said that in the last 15 years, the highest blow came on freedom of thinking and tolerance towards others opinions. “Deprivation from the election means deprivation from many other rights.

 It means shrinking of all types of freedom, creativity, thinking, right to expression and institutional skills. This was the result of manipulated elections in the last 15 years,” he said. 

He said that the consequence of that was the culture of supreme intolerance. 
Mahfuz Anam said one of the main reasons for the fall of the previous AL regime was squeezing the throat of the media. “Had that government allowed media freedom then many right facts could have been carried forward to them. But, the reality was no truth could convey to them. Because, the government gauged the voice of the media,” he said. 

About the relationship of the CPD with the media over the years, he said the relationship between the CPD and the media had been excellent over the years.
He acknowledged that CPD has been speaking the truth years after years despite various adversities.

Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman of CPD, in his opening speech, lauded the think tank for its constructive role as the voice of civil society, especially in the absence of an effective parliament and participatory elections. 

He described CPD as a “brand name” widely recognized as a platform for civil society.
Professor Rounaq Jahan, distinguished fellow at CPD, highlighted the impact of CPD’s dialogues and research papers across various sectors, noting that both the government and the private entities have benefited significantly. Many of CPD’s recommendations have been adopted by the government, she added.

Barrister Nihad Kabir, former president of MCCI, praised CPD’s contributions to the financial sector, particularly in exploring connectivity and trade potential.
She suggested CPD to work on how access to finance and other facilities could be available more to the CMSMEs apart from the large enterprises.

Nihad hoped that CPD would make the next 30 years journey in a much bigger, brighter and better way.

Taslima Akter, President of Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati, appreciated CPD’s role in advocating for workers’ rights and fair wages.

She also underscored the need for conducting more researches to determine the actual development in the livelihood of the labour class although many infrastructures were built over the years. 

Dr. Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director of CPD, moderated the daylong event, which was divided into three sessions.