Dr Ali Riaz, special assistant to the chief adviser, said on Monday that whether another fascist like ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina emerges in Bangladesh will be decided by the people through a referendum.
He made the remarks while participating in an election workshop organized by the Islamic Foundation in Agargaon, Dhaka.
“You will decide what will happen if the ‘yes’ vote wins in the future of Bangladesh. In the next 50 years, another fascist like Sheikh Hasina could be created. You will decide—whether another fascist like Sheikh Hasina will emerge or not. The people of Bangladesh will decide,” Riaz said.
He added: “How the country’s future will unfold will be determined through the results of a referendum. If the July Charter is included in the Constitution, the people themselves will decide its implementation through a referendum.”
“The final decision rests in the hands of the people. This time, that opportunity will be theirs. If you want, you can participate; if not, you don’t have to,” he said.
Riaz also explained the difference between a referendum and a parliamentary election. “In a national parliamentary election, we appoint someone for five years. Even if they do not perform properly, everything continues as normal. After five years, another election will be held. But there is no referendum every five years. A referendum has no candidate, no individual, no personal candidate. When you vote in a parliamentary election, you have alternatives. Suppose there are five candidates in my area—you can vote for any one of them.”
“Now, in the case of a referendum, it is up to you to consider what this referendum is. If someone asks me, I try to explain simply—brother, a referendum is an election in which you determine the way the country will be run in the coming days. That means we are setting a limit for those who will be in power,” he added.
