Democracy doesn’t endorse nonparty CG: Suranjit

Defending the PM’s polls-time all-party government formula, Awami League stalwart Suranjit Sengupta on Tuesday said democracy does not approve any nonparty caretaker government system.

“There’s no scope of having nonparty government in democracy…parties are the key elements of democracy. You have a party and I have as well… So, the government could be all-party one,” he told a discussion.

Saarc Children Forum organised the discussion titled ‘Our Responsibility to Build Padma Bridge’ at the Public Library auditorium in the city.

Suranjit, also a minister without portfolio, said BNP’s demand for polls-time interim government is met by the Prime Minister’s announcement to form the all-party cabinet before the national election.

In an interview with BBC Bangla, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said opposition BNP can join the interim cabinet to be constituted ahead of the next parliamentary polls.

"They (BNP) can table a proposal in parliament on this issue and we together can form a small cabinet and hold the election," the primer told the BBC on Sunday.

In an apparent reaction to the PM’s proposal, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Monday said the next polls will have to be held under a caretaker government, not any other form of government. “No election will be allowed without caretaker government,” she told an Iftar party hosted by Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) on the premises of LD Hall of Parliament.

Referring to the PM’s proposal, Suranjit said the BNP chief should not have any objection after the PM’s interview with the BBC on CG issue.

When his attention was drawn about Khaleda’s Monday’s remarks on CG issue, the veteran AL leader said the opposition leader should come up with her alternative plan in parliament to resolve the issue.

Turning to the Padma Bridge issue, he said the work on the multibillion-dollar bridge will start in time. ”The government is working sincerely in this regard.”

He urged the opposition BNP to help the government find Padma Bridge funding so that the construction work on the bridge can start as soon as possible.

“Only Awami League men will not use the bridge, BNP’s people also communicate through it. So, they should help us in constructing the bridge,” he said.

Chaired by Saarc Children Forum president M Azizul Islam, the seminar was addressed, among others, by managing director and CEO of Architecture Research and Development Shamsun Nahar Begum Monni and Television Journalist Forum of Bangladesh president Redowan Khandaker.