Political parties must take firm stance on AL: Press secretary

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said that political parties must adopt a firm and unified stance on the Awami League, calling its recent move an "existential threat" to the nation's democratic future.

"It's time for all political parties to take a clear position regarding Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League. The way she is still speaking -- branding those who participated in the July Uprising as terrorists -- is deeply alarming," Shafiqul said.

He made the remarks while speaking at a policy dialogue organized by TRACE Consulting on how political parties can use technology to better reflect citizens' aspirations in their election manifestos at Hotel InterContinental on Saturday.

BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General A.H.M. Hamidur Rahman Azad, Biplobi Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque, TRACE CEO Fuad M Khalid Hossain, President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Mohammad Hatem and DUCSU Vice President Sadik Kayem, among others, addressed the programme.

Criticizing Sheikh Hasina's recent statements to international media outlets, Shafiqul said, "Her rhetoric labeling the people of Bangladesh as terrorists poses a grave threat to our politics. When someone is branded a terrorist, it means they are being marked as expendable. Is she trying to return to power by declaring 180 million citizens as enemies?"

Referring to journalist Enayetullah Khan's book, he added, "Enayetullah Khan once wrote that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made 65 million collaborators, now his daughter is calling 180 million people terrorists. It's unthinkable."

Shafiqul also said the country faces an existential political crisis, adding said all parties must come together to defend democracy.

On the upcoming national election, he said, "The government is fully committed to holding the election in the first half of February. There should be no uncertainty about that."

He also noted that debates around governance and the July Charter are part of a healthy democratic process. "Everywhere in the world, constitutional debates take time -- sometimes decades. Consensus cannot be imposed overnight," he said.

"If political parties cannot reach a conclusion, the Interim Government will take necessary decisions as per its mandate soon so that the election process remains free from uncertainty," Shafiqul added.

The press secretary said that Bangladesh currently faces a "fractured political situation" and needs a democratic settlement inclusive of all groups -- right, left or center.

"Without democratic trust, there will be no positive international message, no foreign direct investment and no job growth," he said.

Professor Dr. Shahab Enam Khan of Jahangirnagar University's International Relations Department conducted the panel discussion.

Diplomats, election experts, civil society members and representatives from major political parties were present.