National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Prof Ali Riaz on Thursday blamed the erosion of democratic values for the rise of a fascist regime, urging unified efforts to restore true democracy.
“We witnessed the lack of democracy in the governance structure of Bangladesh for the past 53 years and the weakness of the institutions. This is why the fascist regime was established. So, the desire of political parties, civil society, students and people is to establish a democratic state,” he said during his introductory speech at the talks with the Aam Janata Party in the LD Hall of the parliament complex.
He said there is now a collective aspiration to establish a democratic state to prevent the recurrence of tragic experiences of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and repression.
Speaking about the commission’s goal, Ali said they are working to create a national charter through discussions with all stakeholders, which will be acceptable to everyone. “On the basis of it (national charter), the future roadmap of Bangladesh can be built,” he said.
The National Consensus Commission, he said, is acting as a catalyst in building this collective roadmap.
An 11-member delegation of the Aam Janata Party, led by its President Moshiuzzaman and General Secretary Tarique Rahman, attended the dialogue at 10:30am, with Ali in the chair.
Commission members Safar Raj Hossain, Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar and Dr Iftekharuzzaman were present at the discussion, moderated by Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haider.
Out of 166 major recommendation points compiled by the commission, the Aam Janata Party agreed on 138 recommendations, partially agreed on 15 and disagreed with the remaining 12.
On March 20, the National Consensus Commission began its dialogues with political parties, aiming to build national consensus on the reform initiatives undertaken by the interim government.
So far, the commission has held talks with 14 political parties, including the BNP and National Citizen Party.
Formed under the leadership of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, the commission aims to establish a unified stance on critical reforms.