DUCSU election was a ‘test’ for national polls, successfully passed: Press secy
The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election served as a major ‘test’ for how the upcoming national parliamentary elections can be held, said Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser.
Shafiqul Alam made the remark at a discussion titled ‘Expectations and Challenges for Free and Fair Elections: Roles of Government, Political Parties, and Civil Society’ held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka today, Thursday.
The meeting held to exchange views was organised by the platform, Citizen Coalition, and attended by leaders of various political parties as well as representatives from the civil society.
Speaking about the DUCSU election, the press secretary said, “The political parties, the civil society, and the students have all passed the test successfully. No law-and-order related incidents occurred during the election.”
Shafiqul Alam mentioned that the government is holding meetings regarding the national elections almost every day. He said, “Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has repeatedly stated that the election will indeed take place in February.”
“Eight hundred thousand law enforcement personnel will be deployed to ensure smooth voting. However, political parties and candidates must have the goodwill for a good election. And if the public comes out in a flood to vote, no one can question the legitimacy of the election,” he added.
The Press Secretary further said, “Some claim the government has done nothing, but these statements stem from emotional frustration at not benefiting personally. To assess the government’s successes and failures, one must consider all the statistical analysis.”
He added, “Many countries experienced chaos after a revolution. There was nothing of this sort in Bangladesh and that is the government’s greatest achievement.”
Shafiqul Alam also commented that many are spreading lies on YouTube, adding, “What is happening on YouTube is practically alarming. The current generation does not regularly access traditional media but gets information from YouTube.”
“Some are consistently spreading false information there. No government in any country tolerates this. If we raise this issue, people will say the interim government does not believe in free press,” he remarked.