11-party alliance plotting to create instability: Swapon

BNP Chairman's Advisory Council member and Prime Minister's Political Adviser Zahir Uddin Swapon today (5 Seprtember) accused the 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami of plotting to create instability in the country through street programmes such as a long march.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion in the capital, he urged the country's people to remain vigilant about attempts to take parliamentary debates to the streets unnecessarily.

"Political parties may not fully understand what they are doing. But various domestic and foreign forces remain ready to exploit any unstable situation," the adviser said.

Swapon said programmes like a long march are contrary to the aspirations of ordinary people at a time when Parliament is functioning satisfactorily.

"I believe such a programme in the name of movement, when the National Parliament is functioning satisfactorily, goes against the aspirations of the people," he said.

The roundtable, titled "Review of the First 180 Days of Bangladesh's Democratic Government: The Context of Governance, Accountability and Development," was organised by Citizen Forum Bangladesh and Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Initiatives (BCAI) at the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (Bilia) auditorium.

Reviewing the government's first 180 days, Swapon said it has succeeded in setting a new direction for the country after pulling it out of the severe deadlock caused by two decades of authoritarian practices, a fragile social structure and a bankrupt economy.

"The crisis is so deep that no magical change is possible overnight. However, the government has already taken specific policy measures to ensure sustainable growth in the long run," he said.

On the energy crisis, the Prime Minister's Political Adviser blamed what he described as long-term import dependence and flawed policies in the power and energy sectors.

"Due to long-term import dependence and wrong policies, the country is now struggling in essential sectors like power and energy. Failing to take sustainable measures to extract natural resources despite remaining in power for so long was not merely corruption; it was a long-term betrayal of the nation," he said.

Swapon said the government is not trying to avoid responsibility by merely talking about the crisis.

"Rather, the Prime Minister has sincerely apologised to  people and is implementing initiatives to explore alternative sources and extract our own gas," he said.

The adviser said the government is also focusing on creating new sources of imports alongside China and India, reducing import costs and diversifying export products to restore good governance and provide economic relief.

Referring to the role of an effective Parliament, Swapon said the tendency to quickly take parliamentary debates to the streets undermined democratic political culture.

"Although parliamentary politics provides an opportunity to hold the government accountable through checks and balances, the tendency to quickly take parliamentary debates to the streets hinders democratic culture," he said.

Swapon said it is the responsibility of the opposition to hold the government accountable while making parliamentary democracy more dynamic and meaningful.

UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed chaired the discussion moderated by Dr. Shakhawat Hossain Sayantha.

Former Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Chowdhury, Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Professor Kamrul Ahsan, human rights activist Shirin Huq, and politicians, academics and researchers, among others, spoke at the event.