Jatiya Party Chairman Ghulam Muhammed Quader has said the two biggest political parties in Bangladesh, the Awami League and the BNP, have similar histories, both being involved in corruption, extrajudicial killings, interference in elections and other criminal activities.
GM Quader made the remark during a press conference at the JaPa chairman's office in Banani on Sunday (September 1).
In light of this, during a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, “we proposed constitutional amendments to ensure that a democratic system of governance and fair, impartial elections can be upheld without the need for continuous movements,” he said.
At the press conference, GM Quader elaborated on proposals presented by JaPa during the meeting with the chief adviser.
He expressed concern over the recent trend of blanket accusations against JaPa, even though it was not responsible for the issues in question. "We do not want any misconceptions about the Jatiya Party among the people.”
Quader expressed satisfaction with the steps and activities undertaken by the interim government so far. He stressed that it was not only the expectation of a fair election that mattered but also that the government elected thereafter should govern the country in a democratic manner, ensuring accountability to the people and respecting their wishes.
The JaPa chairman emphasized the importance of preventing future electoral interference for partisan or group interests.
He said the chief adviser had also sought the party’s opinion on how it envisioned the election roadmap.
Quader said there were various flaws in the electoral process and the constitution, which needed to be addressed.
He criticized the centralization of power in the hands of one individual, the prime minister, “who controls almost 99% of state institutions, including the judiciary, parliament and constitutional bodies, through party loyalists.”
Citing examples of the 2001 and 2008 elections, Quader noted that these two elections had seen massive public support for the two major political parties.
“In 2001, the BNP-led four-party alliance won a two-thirds majority in the eighth parliament, with the election being deemed acceptable both domestically and internationally. However, by the time they left power, Bangladesh had earned the distinction of being the most corrupt nation in the world in 2000. From 2001 to 2004, Bangladesh remained at the top of the global corruption index.
“During that time, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was formed, and extrajudicial killings began. The politicization of offices, courts and businesses also started, leading to widespread public dissatisfaction. The most significant issue was the attempt to use party influence to select a caretaker government from within and return to power.”
He continued: “Then a movement took place, and there was an election in 2008, where the Awami League received overwhelming public support. JaPa, as part of the Grand Alliance, proposed to the newly elected government to stop the politicization, corruption, extrajudicial killings and election manipulation. However, the Awami League government did not address these issues, instead amending the constitution to continue elections in the same manner.”
Addressing the interim government, Quader expressed confidence in its ability to hold a fair election.
He offered suggestions, saying: "The Election Commission must be formed with the consensus of all parties and be completely impartial. The police and administration should not be politicized. Holding local government elections before the national election will indicate the level of transparency restored. The prime minister and party leader should not be the same person. The party, government and state should not be unified. No one should serve as prime minister more than twice."
Regarding the 15th Amendment to the constitution, Quader called for its repeal, suggesting that otherwise, a new constitution would need to be drafted. He mentioned that the 15th Amendment could be nullified through legal action and criticized the technical abolition of the referendum process as a mistake.
The JaPa chief urged the creation of a universally accepted constitution that could not be easily altered.
