Democracy restored through credible, impartial election: Speaker

Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, on Wednesday said Bangladesh’s democratic transition has been repeatedly undermined despite the country achieving independence through the great Liberation War in 1971.

“People of this country had become exasperated with the 15-year misrule of the Awami League. A mass uprising of students and people took place against enforced disappearances, killings, extrajudicial killings and farcical elections. In that context, democracy has been restored in the country through a credible and impartial election,” he said.

The Speaker made the remarks when German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Rüdiger Lotz paid a courtesy call on him at the Speaker’s office at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Hafiz Uddin said the people of Bangladesh  have repeatedly sacrificed themselves for democracy and never deviated from their long struggle to establish the rule of law.

He said Bangladesh has suffered exploitation for a long time and democratic discrimination had become acute during the Pakistan period.

“Although the country achieved independence through the great Liberation War in 1971, our democratic transition has been repeatedly undermined,” he said.

Citing that Bangladesh and Germany have long maintained friendly relations, he said the presence of a German observer delegation during the latest parliamentary election further strengthened the existing friendly ties between the two countries. “Germany and Bangladesh are fraternal countries in the democratic sphere,” he said.

Ambassador Dr Rüdiger Lotz said Bangladesh has been freed from 15 years of authoritarian rule and had paved the way from dictatorship towards democracy.

He said the current elected government faces many challenges and pledged the German government’s maximum support for making democracy effective in Bangladesh.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed forming a Bangladesh-Germany parliamentary committee, expanding parliamentary diplomacy through friendship groups, and increasing German economic investment in Bangladesh, including exploration for oil and gas wells in coastal areas and setting up fertiliser factories.

The Speaker invited German experts to explore oil and gas resources in Bangladesh’s coastal areas.

He informed the Ambassador that Bangladesh’s future economy would depend on energy.