Questioning the achievement of Bangladesh under the democratic governing system, former military ruler and Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad on Thursday said the country is now under a ‘one-party democracy’.
“Many people say I was an autocratic ruler, but there had been no incident of killing and enforced disappearance as happen now during my rule. Now a democratic system is in place, but it can’t ensure the security of public life and property,” he said.
Addressing a programme, the deposed president further said, “The democracy which can’t ensure the security of public life and property is not the real democracy. It’s a one-party democracy.”
Ershad, also a special envoy to the Prime Minister, made the remarks while exchanging views with leaders and activists of Jatiya Tanti Party at his Banani office.
The Jatiya Party chief claimed that he had quit power for the sake of democracy. “Forty-three cases were filed against me even after I’d quit power in the interest of a democratic governing system. No one now wants to quit power in fear of facing cases and going to jail. Current democracy is a democracy of vengeance.”
Voicing his frustration over the country’s achievements under the democratic governing system, he said, “There has been change in governments but no change taken place in people’s lot over the last 25 years. A grand festival of corruption and politicisation is going everywhere. Where is the good governance? Had we wanted such a democracy?”
Ershad was also critical of BNP for its repeated hollow threats of waging a movement saying it only fixes dates for movement but fails to act accordingly. “Eid is over and Puja is over but BNP is not on any movement… Jatiya Party is on the streets, parliament and everywhere.”
Referring to demonstrations and crude bombs blast by a group of BNP’s student body Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal for being left out of its new committee, he said there was no violence over the formation of committees of his party as it does not do the politics of terrorism.
Source: UNB
