report in The Daily Star, July 16, 2023
Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday urged the government to sit in a dialogue with all political parties immediately to make the upcoming parliamentary elections free, fair and participatory.
Though it’s the constitutional right to cast vote, the country’s people have had to fight to establish their basic rights, he said.
“People want to form a government through a democratic process by exercising their constitutional rights in a peaceful environment,” Dr Kamal said while presiding over the central committee meeting of Gonoforum at its office at the capital’s Purana Paltan.
Dr Kamal said the main goals of the Liberation War were to establish democracy, justice and human rights, and to build a society free of exploitation.
“But the conflicts and disbelief between the political parties is endangering the achievements of the Liberation War. The country is in a deep crisis due to the government’s repression. As a result, the foreign countries have got the opportunity to question our democracy and election,” he said.
“As a nation, we are ashamed,” he added.
Gonoforum general secretary Md Mizanur Rahman, presidium members Mokabbir Khan, Mofizul Islam Khan, Altaf Hossain, AR Jahangir, Mostaq Ahmed and Shah Nuruzzaman also spoke at the meeting. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/dialogue-must-free-and-fair-polls-3370096
