It’s an electoral dictatorship: Hafizuddin Khan

Speakers at a seminar on corruption arranged by Nagorik Oikya at the National Press Club on Monday. Photo: Focus Bangla
Speakers at a seminar on corruption arranged by Nagorik Oikya at the National Press Club on Monday. Photo: Focus Bangla

A former adviser of the caretaker government, M Hafizuddin Khan, has compared the present political situation of Bangladesh with English writer Gorge Orwell's allegorical novel Animal Farm saying here nobody has the right to differ with the government.

He made the remark while addressing a seminar on corruption arranged by Nagorik Oikya at the National Press Club on Monday, reports UNB.

According to UNB, Hafizuddin said currently country's political situation is nothing but an 'electoral dictatorship' and a massive movement is a must to get out of this situation.

Speaking on the occasion, former governor of the Bangladesh Bank Salehuddin Ahmed said the corrupt people who are responsible for the mismanagement of the banking sector are not brought under proper punishment.

He said the overall graft practices are being encouraged by of political corruption and lack of people's participation in the ruling system.

Dhaka University professor Asif Nazrul said, “I feel sorry when I hear that the corrupt persons are more vocal about the ideology of our liberation war and I think those who are taking the advantage of the ideology, are, mainly, betraying with the ideology.”

He said the main reasons for present corruption are an absolute concentration of power and lack of accountability. According to him, presently the institutions of the government are totally under the power of a handful of people.

Professor Anu Muhammad, member-secretary the National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, said the economy of the country is being run by the remittance and labour's money but some corrupt people are merely looting it.

He said, “There are two groups of 'fundamentalists' in the country, one is religious fundamentalists and another is 'fundamentalists in government' and the second group is not caring the people's demands of getting rights.”

Another former caretaker government advisor Mainul Husein said the present politics is trying to present the ideology of Liberation War as an ideology which is against people's right to get democracy. He dubbed this as a corruption too.

Zafrullah Chowdhury, founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, and some others also addressed with Mahmudur Rahman Manna, the founder of Nagorik Oikya, in the chair.