Moyeen Khan calls for strong institutions to make parliament democratic milestone

BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan today (13 May) said the current Parliament could become a milestone in Bangladesh's democratic history if democratic institutions are established on strong foundations.

"If we can strengthen our democratic institutions on solid foundations for the future of democracy in Bangladesh, this Parliament will certainly remain a milestone in the country's democratic history," he said while addressing a round-table discussion titled "The Current National Parliament: A New Milestone in Democratic Politics" at a city hotel.

Former Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Anwarullah Chowdhury chaired the event arranged by Citizen's Forum, Bangladesh.

"Our key responsibility now is institutional building," Moyeen Khan said.

Drawing comparisons with the United States, he said democratic institutions built over centuries help sustain democratic governance even during periods of political uncertainty. 

"In Bangladesh, after more than 50 years, we must ask ourselves what democratic institutions we have truly built," he said.

The BNP leader said the present Parliament bears an additional responsibility to establish durable democratic institutions capable of protecting democracy in the future.

He said it was still too early to conclusively determine whether the current Parliament will ultimately emerge as a milestone, but stressed that the discussion itself reflected the country's renewed democratic aspirations.

"Time will say whether this Parliament becomes a new milestone. But I believe the sacrifices made by people during the movement against authoritarianism created an opportunity to move Bangladesh forward through democratic institutions," Moyeen Khan, who had experience serving in five parliaments, said.

Referring to the responsibilities of lawmakers, he said the primary duty of MPs was lawmaking, but in developing countries like Bangladesh parliamentarians are also expected to address various public demands at the grassroots level. "In our context, MPs have to do everything from lawmaking to solving people's immediate social problems," he said.

The BNP leader questioned how effectively lawmakers were able to fulfil their legislative responsibilities given the large volume of laws and ordinances processed by Parliament.

He referred to discussions over 133 ordinances promulgated during the interim administration in the maiden session of 13th Parliament and said lawmakers had to review and pass a substantial number of laws within a limited timeframe.

Despite the challenges, Moyeen Khan expressed optimism that the current Parliament, formed after what he described as a period of sacrifice and struggle, could still work for the welfare of the people.

Highlighting the nature of parliamentary democracy, he said democracy requires constant vigilance and active political engagement. "Democracy survives through continuous struggle and vigilance. There is no opportunity to sleep comfortably if we want to protect democratic values," he said.

The BNP leader also stressed the importance of balancing majority rule with respect for minority opinions.

Referring to the post-5 August political transition, he described the period as one shaped by the "doctrine of necessity" and said Bangladesh has now returned to a constitutional and institutional framework.

Prof Dr Burhan Uddin Khan, Chairman of Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA), was the keynote speaker at the event where economist Prof Mahbub Ullah, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, and UGC Chairman and Citizen's Forum, Bangladesh Chief Coordinator Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed also spoke.

Among others present at the discussion were Prime Minister's Speech Writer Mahfuzur Rahman, former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, journalist Shahidul Alam, Jamaat MP Mardia Mamtaj, Poet Abdul Hye Sikder, former Inspector General of Police Ashraful Huda, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ahsanul Mahboob Zubayer, NCP MPs Atiq Mujahid and Nusrat Tabassum, and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Abidul Islam.