Youth have the right to form a new political party: Farhad Mazhar

If the present political parties are unable to fulfill the expectations of the people as expressed through the youth, then there is need for a new political party, feels poet, writer and political commentator Farhad Mazhar. He said, the youth have the right to form a new political party.

Farhad Mazhar was speaking as chief guest at a discussion on "Bangladesh's Student Revolution: 2007-24: Education System and State Reforms". The event was held in the afternoon today, Saturday, at the Economic Reporters Forum auditorium in Purana Paltan of the capital. The discussion was organised by Movement for World Education Rights.  

Farhad Mazhar said, "This mass movement has reached a certain point. In order to fulfill this mass movement, the youth may certainly need to form a political party. This is what will happen, whether we want it or not."

Saying that the youth had the right to form a political party, he said if the political parties can meet the expectations of the people as expressed through the youth, then the youth will certainly not need a separate political party. And if they can't do so, then the youth will certainly need a new party.

Addressing the youth, Farhad Mazhar said, "It would be wrong to remain in a dilemma over whether to form a party or not. If you want to form a party, go ahead and do so. You must explain to the people why you want to make the party."

Farhad Mazhar said, the government election and the people's election is the main bone of contention. If the political parties want elections for the people, then their aim will be to build up a new Bangladesh, to discard the old constitution. If the interim government fails to do that, then the responsibility will fall upon the political parties.

Farhad Mazhar feels that the election is not a problem for the country. Addressing BNP, he said you want to just make a few reforms here and there while keeping the fascist system intact, coming to power again like Awami League. The youth will not accept this.

It will be very easy to resolve the violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Farhad Mazhar feels. He said, "We have to recognise the rights of the various indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the rights of the ethnic minorities. They are a part of our state, not outside. So we have to include what sort of Bangladesh they want." He said this is a political crisis and they must be brought to political dialogue. There is no alternative.

Farhad Mazhar said it is very easy to separate Chittagong Hill Tracts, adding, "India is making all sort of hints. There is instigation from outside. We are adding fuel to the fire of these instigations."

Farhad Mazhar said that if the interim government at the outset had held talks with people of all classes, professions and groups, then the Chattogram, Ansar and labour uprisings wouldn't have happened.

Had BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia not taken the uncompromising stand of boycotting the elections that would lend legitimacy to the fascist state and power, the student-people's uprising would not have been possible, said Farhad Mazhar. He addressed the youth, saying, "You all should have gone and greeted her at first."

Farhad Mazhar said, the difference between the state and the government must be understood. If not, the police will think they are employees of the government, not of the state. And so they will follow Awami League (if Awami League is in power). The bureaucrats will feel their work is not to serve the state, but to serve Awami League. If BNP goes to power, they will serve BNP.

Spokesperson of 'No VAT in Education', Faruk Ahmed, presided over the meeting. Also speaking on the occasion were BNP vice chairperson Asaduzzaman Ripon, Dhaka University's Professor Robaet Ferdous, Jatiya Nagorik Committee's member secretary Akhter Hossain, and others.