Staff Correspondent:

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said, “Those scared of elections have no business to be in politics. They can act as a pressure group. They can function as an NGO. You can’t be in politics, yet not want the election. You can’t hamper the democratic process.”

Amir Khasru was speaking on Sunday, at a discussion organised by Bhashani Jana Shakti Party and Bhashani Onushari Parishad at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

Amir Khasru said, in countries were such revolutions took place and where there were efforts to delay the elections, divisions emerged. There were civil wars. These countries became failed states. Those who managed to return to democracy by speedily holding elections, did well financially, socially and democratically.

The BNP leader said that there would not be a consensus on everything, adding, “We are different parties and there won’t be consensus on everything.  We must remain united on national issues. Political ideology, thoughts and philosophy are different. There wouldn’t be democracy without these differences. We are not here for a one-party rule or for BKSAL.”

He further said, “There can be differences of opinion, but we must be tolerant towards each other. We cannot take up confrontational politics. There can be differences, but there must be respect.”

Amir Khasru commented that people had a changed mindset after Sheikh Hasina fled. The parties and the individuals who do not understand this, have no future.

The BNP leader went on to say, “It is undemocratic to say that we will go for the election if you listen to us, but won’t go for the election if you don’t listen to us. This is a process to destroy democracy in the name of democracy. Everyone would have to listen to whatever Sheikh Hasina said. We have no rights.”

Also speaking at the discussion were Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar)’s chairman Mustafa Jamal Haidar, Gono Forum acting president Subrata Sarkar, Nagorik Oikya general secretary Shahidullah Kaiser, Bhashani Onushari Parishad convener Sheikh Rafiqul Islam Bablu, and others.