BNP Standing Committee member and former commerce minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has urged political parties to respect the people’s mandate and refrain from imposing their own views on citizens.
He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion on business, trade, and the economy held at the Rajshahi District Council Auditorium around 12 pm on Saturday. The event was organized by the Rajshahi Divisional Business Forum.
“The people must be allowed to make their own decisions. In the upcoming election, it will be the citizens who decide. Any party wishing to meet their demands must go to the people. Public opinion must be sought, and the people’s mandate obtained. No one can impose their opinion on the public,” he said.
Khasru also said: “It is not enough to establish political democracy; the economy must also be democratized. Democratizing the economy means ensuring that decision-making and ownership are not concentrated in the hands of a few, but distributed among workers, consumers, suppliers, and the wider community. This will allow ordinary citizens to participate in development.”
He added: “Past economic models have failed the general population and only protected the interests of certain groups. If BNP comes to power, it will implement an economy for all, ensuring the benefits of development reach everyone.”
Criticizing the current economic situation, the former commerce minister said: “The state of business and trade in the country is extremely poor. Investors have lost interest.”
Quoting businesspeople, he added: “If elections could be held in February, hold them now at least—give us our freedom.”
Khasru added that: “Those pushing for a consensus are trying to impose their views on the people. No one has given them this responsibility. They are using it to delay the election.”
He emphasized: “Democracy means facing the questions of the people, not implementing a political party’s agenda. In the past, the Awami League government tried to impose its agenda on the people through oppression, but the public responded. If BNP comes to power, it will not waste public funds under the guise of mega projects.”
