Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya, has stated that if the upcoming 13th national election is held under the Proportional Representation (PR) system, there is a possibility that the Awami League could return to power through the Jatiya Party’s “boat on the plow” symbol.
Speaking at a shadow parliament session organized by Debate for Democracy on Saturday (September 20) at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation, themed “Impact of Student Parliament Elections on the Upcoming National Election,” Manna elaborated on his views.
Manna said, “The issue of symbols in elections is vital but not dominant. In the next five months, many unpredictable events will unfold in politics. Holding elections under the PR system is not realistic in the current context. If elections are held under the PR system, there is a chance that the fallen Awami League could return through the Jatiya Party’s boat on the plow symbol. In the current scenario, the Jatiya Party is not the tail of the Awami League but its head. The student parliament elections will have some impact on the national election, but their results will not significantly alter the outcome of the national election.”
He further noted, “A silver lining of consensus has emerged regarding the July Charter, and I hope it will be implemented. The possibility of smaller political parties uniting ahead of the upcoming election is positive. If Nagorik Oikya and Gonoadhikar Parishad make such a decision, I will support it. However, I do not support the inclusion of a member from an unregistered party among the chief advisor’s delegation to the UN General Assembly.”
In his speech as the chair of the shadow parliament, Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron, chairman of Debate for Democracy, said, “Most Awami League leaders are accused of genocide and are currently ostracized. They cannot participate in elections. If the current political parties act responsibly, I am hopeful that, like the DUCSU and JUCSU elections, people will vote enthusiastically in the February election, making it the highest turnout in the country’s history. Politics without ideals is blind. A party that fails to win people’s love is doomed to fail. If politicians fail, the country risks being labeled a failed state. The previous Awami League government turned Bangladesh into a failed state, with one-person rule prevailing. Hasina considered herself the state, acting like a monarch and treating the people as slaves. After the fall of the Hasina government, the politics of kings, subjects, and slaves has ended in Bangladesh. A fascist regime has been buried. We have witnessed the dire consequences of Hasina’s rule through the July uprising, and everyone should learn from it.”
Kiron added, “Sudden divisions among anti-fascist forces are causing public concern. If the desired election does not take place in February, the country will face a severe crisis, and national security will be at risk. There will be a fear of defeated fascist forces making a comeback. Therefore, the election must be held in February as per the Election Commission’s roadmap. However, political parties must remain vigilant to ensure that a change in power does not lead to a cycle of corruption.”
In the shadow parliament, debaters from the State University of Bangladesh defeated those from Daffodil International University. The judges for the competition were Professor Abu Mohammad Rais, Dr. Tajul Islam Chowdhury Tuhin, and journalists Saidur Rahman, Maidur Rahman Rubel, and Zakir Hossain Liton. Trophies, crests, and certificates were awarded to the participating teams at the end of the competition.
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