BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Monday said those who do not want elections are behind the recent incidents of violence, attacks and instability in the country.
“The concentration of power in the hands of the government is not good for any state; the power of the people is what strengthens a state,” he told journalists after a Trade Dialogue organised by the Chittagong Divisional Business Forum at a hotel in the port city.
Saying that democracy aims to balance state power through people’s participation, he added, “Our goal is to build a democratic state based on the power of the people.”
Amir Khosru said democracy cannot be ensured by democratising politics alone, stressing the need to uphold the rights of all citizens. “To achieve this, we must create a proper environment and dismantle the concentration of power in the hands of the corrupt,” he said.
Highlighting BNP’s economic vision, he said the party wants to reduce bureaucratic control and empower businesspeople to facilitate trade and investment.
“We want to take everything out of bureaucratic control and place it in the hands of businesspeople. For this, their capacity must be enhanced,” he said.
He said BNP plans to provide back-to-back facilities for future exporters and introduce automation across all sectors. “A supervisory committee will be formed, and a one-stop automated service will be introduced for container handling and required permissions,” he added.
Regarding the banking sector, Amir Khosru said it has fallen into turmoil because Bangladesh Bank acted under instructions of the previous government. “This has created a dangerous situation in the banking sector,” he said.
He then spoke said institutions should be allowed to function independently instead of being politicised.
Replying to a question, he said many believe those who oppose elections, or want to delay it, are also responsible for the current spate of violence the country has been witnessing. He added that the situation would change once BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman returned to the country, by providing much-needed leadership.
Amir Khosru further said that if BNP comes to power, accountability will be ensured across institutions as well as among politicians.
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At the dialogue, business leaders mentioned that exports have declined significantly in comparison to GDP and urged the government to give attention to sectors beyond readymade garments.
Among others, the event was addressed by BGMEA Senior Vice President Selim Rahman, Inter-District Bus Owners Association General Secretary Kafil Uddin, Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice President Sultana Nurjahan Rosy, Asian Group Chairman M A Salam, and Sicom Group Chairman Mohammad Amirul Haque.