e_Paper 20-11-2016

4
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016
DT
News
‘Our job is to strengthen the party and govt’
Delwar Hossain, a former president of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Dhaka University unit, was
inducted into the newly formed central working committee of Bangladesh Awami League as
forestry and environment secretary. Speaking with the Dhaka Tribune’s Mohammad Abu Bakar
Siddique, he talks about his journey from student politics to being a part the upper echelon of the
ruling party – a journey that has taken many by surprise
Delwar Hossain with student political activists at the 20th national council of the
Awami League last month
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Akbar Ali Khan: Parties
should sit across table
• Manik Miazee
Political parties, including the two
major ones – Awami League and
BNP – should discuss the next parliamentary
election issues behind
the screen, an adviser to the former
caretaker government has suggested.
To solve the controversies over
the “election time government”
centring the next election, the two
major political parties should hold
discussions out of the public eye
and with a mentality where they
are both willing to make sacrifices,
said Akbar Ali Khan.
He made the statement while
addressing the public parliament
on “Whether there is a need for
interim election time government
to hold a fair election” at the FDC
auditorium in Dhaka.
Debate for Democracy organised
the debate programme, with
Dhaka International University and
Prime Asia University as participants.
“For a free and fair election,
they [political parties] should
change their political culture. The
election time government can hold
free and fair elections,” the former
adviser said.
Addressing the programme as
chief guest, Akbar Ali Khan proposed
formation of several election-time
governments, including
one with the ruling party elected
by the general people.
He also suggested that a separate
election time caretaker government
be formed, with the participation
of all parties and with
suggestion from the Supreme
Court.
Regarding the country’s bureaucratic
problems, he said the Election
Commission did not hold the
election alone, as the government
officials are also involved with the
process. •
How does it feel to be a part of the
central committee of the Awami
League?
It is overwhelming. And of course,
I am grateful.
It is a bigger responsibility than
that of a unit president of the
student affiliate, is it not?
Well, from the organisational
point of view, the DU unit of Chhatra
League has the same status as its
district unit. And there is the fact
that Dhaka University has been the
centre of student politics for the
entire nation, not just the Chhatra
League. So I have had the opportunity
of working with all active student
organisations as well as to serve as a
leader at the national level.
How did you get involved in
politics?
My first formal introduction to
student politics was when I was
in Class IX – I was made general
secretary of a Chhatra League unit
in my school.
When I took admission at DU’s
geography department in 1991-92
session, I started participating in
the DU Chhatra League’s activities
and worked my way up. In 2001,
I became the president of the DU
unit.
Fakhrul: AL reaction was
premeditated
• Manik Miazee
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhru
Islam Alamgir claimed that the
ruling Awami League’s reaction
over BNP chairperson’s proposal
on reformation of Election Commission
(EC) was premeditated.
Observing that the ruling party
was ready beforehand ‘to reject the
proposal’, Fakhrul said: “The way
AL expressed their reaction within
moments of announcing the proposal
as well as the language they
used clearly shows that it was all
worded in advance.”
Speaking at a discussion yesterday
in the capital, the BNP leader
said: “Just after the BNP chairperson
finished her speech, a reporter
told me that the AL has rejected it.”
He also said we didn’t expect
them accepting all the proposals,
but they could at least initiate a dialogue
with all political parties as
proposed by Khaleda.
What are the potential challenges
that you may face as you take up
your new role in the party?
Our problems are well-identified.
After being elected in 2008, our
leader and Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina has taken initiatives to
address these problems, and we
have to work to implement those
initiatives to achieve the intended
development goals. Our job is
to strengthen the party and the
government as there are many
forces that are always trying to
destablise the country. As for my
role, there are a lot of environmental
challenges. I will try my best to
address these challenge as much
as possible.
How do you consider your
responsibilities as a young leader?
We have a huge population of
young people. Our development
largely depends on them, so we
have to use their force, using the
experiences of the elderly, to mobilise
our country towards development.
The opportunity to work
with such a big young population
comes once in a century.
Your party has a longstanding
stance against communalism. In
the national council, you pledged
He further said without an independent
EC, any election neither
could be free-and-fair in the future,
nor it was in the past.
“If you wish well for the country,
sit across the table to start a dialogue
with all political parties for
re-forming EC,” he called upon the
government.
He called to party man to rising
public sentiment for Khaleda Zia’s
proposal.
On Saturday BNP senior leader
to fight militancy. There are other
important challenges, such as
women empowerment. What is
your message to young people
regarding these challenges?
Communalism is a colonial legacy,
which is aggravated by lack of
proper education. A coordination
in the learning process is crucial
to solve problems like this. And
there are some political parties
who want to take ill-advantage of
public sentiment.
But people of all religions took
part and sacrificed in our Liberation
War. Awami League believes
in the everyone’s right to practise
their own religion. We are keen
on using the potential of all young
people, irrespective of their religious
faith.
They can play a vital role in
bridging the gap among all communities
and create harmony.
No other party accommodates
women in their activities like
the Awami League. Other parties
should also come forward to
contribute to the our women’s
development. Without women’s
participation, there would be no
development. Educated women
should come forward and take a
lead in this regard. •
remarked those issues while he was
a chief gusts at a party programme
in Kochi-Kacha auditorium in city.
Mentionable, Khaleda placed
a 13-point proposal regarding EC
reformation before the media on
Friday.
A search committee, clean EC,
ballot reforms and empowerment
of the military during election are
the focal points of her recommendations.
In her speech, the former threetime
prime minister suggested
the President of Bangladesh to
take into account the recommendation
from a constitutionallyadvised
search body while appointing
the CEC and the three
commissioners.
The EC is stipulated to be reconstituted
by February next year as
the tenures of incumbent commissioners
including the chief election
commissioner (CEC) will expire
halfway through February. •