Opposition to everything is not desirable: Mahdi Amin

Mahdi Amin, education adviser to the prime minister, has called on the opposition not to oppose everything and instead make logical and constructive criticism. He said criticism will remain in a democracy but it must be logic-based and constructive. False propaganda and character assassination should not be done in any way.

He made these remarks at a roundtable discussion titled ‘Which way is the political culture of post-mass uprising Bangladesh headed’ at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in Eskaton of the capital on Saturday (August 22).

Mahdi Amin said political ideologies may differ. However, everyone must stay united for the country, the people and national interest. The greater unity that was created through the mass uprising must be returned to that place of aspiration.

He said the main aspiration of the people during the mass uprising was to ensure human rights and freedom of speech. In post-mass uprising Bangladesh, the government must ensure accountability to the people. For democratic interest, everyone must stay united and work to establish inclusive democracy.

The education adviser to the prime minister said inclusive policy-making is needed to ensure inclusive development. Despite political differences, it is essential to maintain unity for national interest.

At the roundtable discussion, State Minister for Social Welfare Barrister Farzana Sharmin Putul said the government has started its journey with a big aspiration. The people themselves will evaluate how much of that aspiration has been fulfilled in the past six months. She also said an attempt has been made to change the previous practice of vengeance in politics.

She said the government is trying to work with a 180-day timeframe. Everyone must work unitedly to build the broken Bangladesh into a sustainable and humane country.

General Secretary of Revolutionary Workers Party Saiful Haque said no incidents of enforced disappearance, torture or political vengeance have been seen in the past six months of the current government, which is a positive aspect of the government. However, people are not taking the appointment of administrators in various city corporations well.

Consulting Editor of The Daily Star and chief of the interim government’s media reform commission, journalist Kamal Ahmed, said everyone, not just the BNP, must think in the spirit of ‘Bangladesh first’. The culture of political parties must be changed and the parties must be established under discipline and control.