The Constitution of Bangladesh has been formulated in such a way that it imbues too much power upon the prime minister, Ganosamhati Andolon leader Zonayed Saki said on Friday.
“As per the constitution, the prime minister has almost complete control over everything. Whoever is elected prime minister already gains control of the government and parliament,” he said while addressing a rally in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka.
Ganosamhati Andolon organized the rally to demand equal voting rights and the establishment of democracy in the country.
“The prime minister controls the judiciary, Election Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Public Service Commission. It is all in his or her hands,” Saki said. “As a result, whichever party comes to power tries to eliminate the opposition and gain complete control over the state. The present government is also doing this.
“Despite this situation, the government plans to hold the next national election under it. Without amendments to the constitution, the problems in Bangladesh’s politics will never be fixed,” he added.
He also alleged that the constitution had been formulated in a way to favour elitism and autocracy, adding that the constitution must be amended to bring more check and balance in the country’s governance.
“The government is not holding dialogues with other political parties. They do not want a participatory election, so they are not holding the talks. They want to score on an open goal,” Saki claimed.
He urged political parties to wage movements so the government would be forced to sit for dialogues.
Meanwhile, Saki also claimed there was international conspiracy regarding the Rohingya crisis. “The conspiracy cannot be addressed until political parties rid themselves of their internal conflicts. Otherwise, this will lead Bangladesh into more trouble.”
If the internal conflicts continue, Bangladesh’s sovereignty will be at risk, too, he added.
Criticizing the newly passed Digital Security Act, he claimed it may be used as a political weapon against the opposition by whoever is in power.
He also alleged that influential members of groups related to the government and law enforcement were conducting illegal activities, such as drug trading, with impunity.