‘Both politics, economy must be democratized’

Staff Reporter :

BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said that it is not enough to democratize politics alone; the economy must also be democratized. Every citizen of Bangladesh should be a stakeholder in the economy and development activities. The economy cannot be run by patronizing a single group. The economy must be for everyone.

Every citizen should be able to participate in the economy and in development activities. From the villages to the educated segment of society, everyone should have the opportunity to participate, and for this, we are formulating plans. From women to retired people at the age of 60, everyone must be engaged in productive roles.

He said, every citizen should be able to play a role in the country’s economic activities-that is our thinking. When this participation increases citizens’ income and improves their standard of living, only then will they become responsible citizens. They will pay taxes. With that, they will be able to demand accountability: “My tax money cannot be used in this way. My tax money must be used properly for Bangladesh.”

He made these remarks on Thursday at a discussion meeting at the National Press Club titled “First Anniversary of the July Uprising and the Simultaneous Movement of Allied Parties.”
Also speaking at the event were BNP Vice Chairman Barkat Ullah Bulu, Health Affairs Secretary Dr. Rafiqul Islam, along with leaders of other parties.

Amir Khosru said, there is no need for anyone to claim the sole credit for the 2024 movement-it was the outcome of the united effort of the people of Bangladesh.

Criticizing political parties, he said, the people are the owners of Bangladesh-they will make the decisions. Political parties must change their culture, they must become tolerant, and they must learn to respect others and their differing opinions.

Referring to Sheikh Hasina, he said, “She has left behind a number of petty dictators.” Taking people’s mandate and passing decisions in parliament-that is democracy. But when someone says, “If our demands are not met, we will not join elections or we will launch movements,” that is undemocratic. This reflects Sheikh Hasina’s mindset, and it becomes evident from such attitudes.

He said, historically, it is established that in post-revolution countries, those established democracy quickly through elections and institutionalization, have done well. But in countries that failed to do so after revolutions, internal divisions continued to grow, leading to civil wars, fractured societies, collapsing economies-democracy was out of the question.
He said one year has already passed for us. Until democracy is established through people’s votes and their representatives are elected, citizens will not enjoy ownership, rights, independence, or free thought. At the end of the day, we will end up as a conflicting nation fighting among ourselves.