Banning political parties is not the solution: Rumeen Farhana

Co-secretary of international affairs for BNP and a former member of parliament Barrister Rumeen Farhana said that banning political parties on paper is not an effective solution.

Recently, in a private television talk show, she said that the problem cannot be solved by administratively banning parties; it will not be of any use unless they are removed from the minds of the people.

She cited Jamaat-e-Islami and Muslim League as examples and said that Jamaat has been banned at various times in the past, but the party is still active in the political arena. Similarly, the Muslim League is also still active in politics in Bangladesh, with its leaders and supporters working in different areas.

Rumeen Farhana also said that through a new alliance, leaders who were not previously in high positions in the Awami League or who are not responsible for the 2004 mass uprising, but who have a soft attitude towards the Awami League, can enter political activities.

She commented that the Awami League wants to take advantage of the elections, and recently Sajeeb Wazed Joy also mentioned this issue in an interview.

On the show, she also highlighted the results of a recent survey. In a survey conducted by David Bergman, out of 2,500 young people aged 18 to 35, 20 percent said they would vote for BNP, 17 percent for Jamaat, and 9-10 percent for Awami League. The number of undecided voters is the highest. Rumeen Farhana said that even if the party is banned by law, if the voters support them, the Election Commission or the administration will not be able to do anything.