People’s frustration will deepen without free, fair election: Nazrul
The BNP leader said the people of the country have not yet fully enjoyed the benefits of independence and democracy.
If the upcoming election is not free, fair and neutral, there will be no end to the people's frustration in the country, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said today (4 February).
He urged everyone to remain vigilant so that the opportunity that has emerged to restore democracy is not undermined through unethical means.
Nazrul, also the party's Election Steering Committee chairman, made the remarks at an exchange meeting with members of the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy, held at a hotel in Gulshan in the capital.
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The BNP leader said elections are the primary vehicle of democracy. "Where there is no election, there is no democracy. A neutral election is essential to ensure people's right to express their opinions."
Addressing journalists, he said reporters are among those who possess the most information in the country and that seeking the truth is one of their core responsibilities.
Nazrul further said casting fake votes is a crime, just as preventing someone from voting is equally a crime. He called on journalists to remain vigilant so that no unethical or unlawful activities take place centring the election.
The BNP leader said the people of the country have not yet fully enjoyed the benefits of independence and democracy.
"For a long time, many have been subjected to enforced disappearances, killings and repression. It is against these injustices that the sons of this soil sacrificed their lives. A window for change has now opened and must be properly utilised," Nazrul added.
Expressing concern over newspaper ownership and neutrality, he said, "Most media outlets in the country are now owned by large industrialists or businesspeople. As they are directly or indirectly involved in politics, a certain degree of political influence remains over the media."
Despite these constraints, he urged media professionals to maintain neutrality and objectivity in their reporting.
Highlighting the importance of the upcoming election, the BNP leader said this election poses greater challenges than before. "Overcoming the country's current social and economic crises is extremely complex, and in order to tackle the situation, responsibility must be entrusted to qualified individuals through the ballot."
