Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Tuesday said the February-12 election was the least controversial among all parliamentary polls held in Bangladesh.
"In Bangladesh, 13 parliamentary elections were held. The most recent election was the least controversial of them all," he said while addressing a discussion, marking the 2nd anniversary of July Mass Uprising at the Council Building of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) here.
The minister said Bangladesh has not attained the desired institutional framework for the executive, judiciary and legislature yet.
“But we cannot say we have reached the place of our desired judicial system. Even in the light of the thought based on common democratic values, we have not yet achieved the institutional structures required for the executive branch, the judiciary, the legislative branch of the state,” he said, claiming that Bangladesh has never passed through a stable socio-economic system.
Referring to the 2024 July Mass Uprising, Swapon expressed optimism that the aspirations created following the sacrifices made by the martyrs of the July Uprising will enter a final stage, so that the country's socio-economic system will never again have to fall into this constraint.
He said if the country truly wants to achieve such a desired state, it must first understand why these repeated instabilities occurred and whether the root causes have been removed.
“If we try to look at July Mass Uprising from a research perspective, then we will truly be paying our respects to the martyrs of July Uprising,” he said.
Buet Teachers' Association President Prof Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder chaired the discussion, while Buet Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Mohammad Shariful Islam attended it as a special guest.
Former Buet pro-VC Prof Abdul Hasib Chowdhury and Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Prof Md Abdul Jalil were present as guests of honour in the event.