Opposing the interim government’s move to provide a humanitarian corridor for Myanmar's Rakhine State, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday said only an elected parliament can make such a sensitive decision.
“The freedom-loving people of the country believe that the decision on whether or not to grant a corridor must come from the people themselves—especifically, through their directly elected National Parliament,” he said while virtually addressing a mammoth rally.In democratic nations around the world, the BNP leader said the standard practice and established norm is to make sensitive decisions involving the country’s sovereignty through parliament.
Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, the labour wing of BNP, organised the rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office with the participation of thousands of its leaders, activists and workers, marking May Day.
In an oblique reference to media reports, Tarique said the interim government has taken a policy decision to allow Bangladesh to be used as a corridor for delivering humanitarian aid to Myanmar’s Rakhine State, which is currently embroiled in internal conflicts.
He bemoaned that the interim government had neither informed the public nor felt the need to consult the political parties that represent people on a sensitive matter directly related to the country’s independence and sovereignty.
The BNP leader said he did not want to debate at this point whether the interim government can or should make such a decision.
“Our position is clear: the interim government must prioritise the interests of the people of Bangladesh above everything —not act to safeguard the interests of foreign powers,” he said.
“For us, not Myanmar, India, Pakistan, or any other country—Bangladesh is first and foremost. Above all, this should be our sole objective,” Tarique observed.
On Saturday last, Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain announced that the interim government had, in principle, agreed to allow a humanitarian corridor under UN supervision, subject to certain conditions.He, however, did not provide further details on the matter.
Tarique said democratic parties of the country, including the BNP, have continued their unconstitutional support to the interim government in order to establish an elected government accountable to people in a fascism-free Bangladesh.
“But the pro-democratic people feel that it is not logical to continue this support for the interim government indefinitely,” he said.
The BNP leader emphasised that it is now imperative to establish a government accountable to the people so that fugitive dictators cannot rise again in the country.
He said the mantra of becoming a dictator is not written in the constitution or laws of the country; rather, fascism emerges from disobedience to the constitution and laws.
Tarique said the journey of fascism begins when a person or a quarter considers himself or themselves indispensable and starts imposing unilateral decisions on the people.
“That is why I want to say that it is crucial to establish an elected national parliament and an accountable government of representatives directly elected by the people, so that the latent desire or aspiration in the mind of any individual or quarter to remain in power for a long time without a vote cannot lead the state or government to fascism,” he said.
Tarique said a caretaker or interim government is formed after the ouster of a fascist government through a mass uprising.
“Such a government formed under special circumstances is not illegal, but a government formed under such special circumstances can never be an alternative to a directly elected government,” he said.
He called upon the government to come up with short-term and long-term reform proposals and announce a roadmap for the next national election.
“Announce a specific roadmap for the upcoming national election. If the roadmap in the interim government's action plan is clear to the democracy-loving public, their doubts and suspicions will be dispelled,” he said.
Tarique said his party believes that both reforms and elections are essential.
“Our call to the interim government is to be cautious. A section of the interim government appears to be systematically trying to provoke division among anti-fascist political parties by pitting reforms against elections… Such a perception has started to take root in the minds of the democracy-loving people,” he said.
“We urge them (the interim government) to formulate short-term and long-term reform proposals. No political party has any objection,” the BNP leader said.
At the same time, he called upon the government to complete the necessary reforms and prepare the law enforcement agencies, judiciary and Election Commission to conduct the national election.