Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman has said Bangladesh still has a long way to go to build a robust and strong democracy as weaknesses of democracy exist in most of the countries in the world till now.
He came up with the statement marking the occasion of the International Day of Democracy on Sunday. The day is being observed worldwide with the theme "Navigating AI for Governance and Citizen Engagement".
"Personally, I and my party believe that there is no alternative to promoting and upholding the principles of democracy," Tarique Rahman said.
He said democracy is a universal value that recognises people's freedom of expression and unhindered expression of thoughts.
"We are determined to build such a safe, progressive and democratic Bangladesh, which will contribute to global democratic development crossing the state boundary," he said.
Since 2007, every year on September 15, the International Day of Democracy is a special day observed by the member countries of the United Nations to create interest in democracy and to realize its inherent power, said the BNP acting chairman.
Paying deep respect to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives to establish democracy, he prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs who sacrificed themselves and expressed his empathy to the injured.
Tarique Rahman said multi-party democracy based on equality, human dignity, individual freedom, freedom of speech and social justice was at the core of martyred president Ziaur Rahman's everlasting philosophy of Bangladeshi nationalism.
This thought and philosophy was pioneered by former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on the uninterrupted path of uncompromising struggle, he said.
Tarique Rahman said the democratic Bangladesh, which was founded on the people's aspirations, came under repeated vindictive attacks by the cruel dictators in their evil attempts to destroy the multi-dimensional democracy.
Against the backdrop of the continuous struggle of Begum Khaleda Zia for a decade and a half, the worst dictator in history has fallen in the mass uprising of student-people in last July that stunned the world, said the BNP acting chairman.
This year's theme of the International Day of Democracy is "Navigating AI for Governance and Citizen Engagement" is a very time-befitting one, he said, adding that technological advancement must be harnessed to ensure the rule of law.
Tarique Rahman mentioned that in the last 16-17 years, crores of voters were not given the opportunity to exercise their voting rights.
Fake national and local government elections were conducted with fake voters, he said, adding that crores of voters in the country could not participate in meaningful elections.
The BNP acting chairman said several generations of the country have grown up in a fearful and authoritarian environment without the practice and application of democratic rights.
Their freedom and creativity as well as human and mental development were restricted by misrule and they had to face obstacles continuously, he said, adding that the bright and promising future of the youth has been thwarted.
Tarique Rahman said, "We are committed to restoring democracy in Bangladesh in unison. Free, impartial and participatory elections; independent judiciary and media and institutional implementation of all principles of democracy will be the foundation of our state reform.
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