Poet and political thinker Farhad Mazhar said that continuous pressure was being applied for elections, making it impossible for the government to survive.
He made these remarks during a discussion with journalists at the Bogura Press Club on Friday afternoon.
Opposing the proposed humanitarian corridor in Rakhine, Mazhar said that the United States wants to involve the Bangladesh Army in another proxy war. “As someone who stands for Bangladesh’s sovereignty, I say such a corridor should not be granted.”
Farhad Mazhar emphasized the relevance of a Constituent Assembly election before a parliamentary election. “Those who understand law and politics, but not party politics, will be sent to the Constituent Assembly,” he said.
“They will debate and finalize a draft constitution. Then a referendum will be held. If the people approve, it will be finalized as the new constitution. After that, elections will be held under that new constitution to form a new government.”
Criticizing the formation of various reform commissions, he said: “To build a ‘new Bangladesh,’ the interim government must understand the people’s will.”
He advised the government to engage directly with the public. “To understand the people’s will, you must go to them. After the mass uprising, we hoped the new government we formed would do that—but they didn’t. Instead, they set up commissions from above. These commissions sat in Dhaka and held discussions. They didn’t call the people or listen to them. If we deny the people, how can we truly build the new Bangladesh we dream of?”
Journalists from both print and electronic media were present at the exchange.
