Ex-president wants Bangladesh govt to reduce its term

A former president has made a ‘special proposal’ to reduce the government’s term in Bangladesh.

AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, who now heads the political party Bikalpa Dhara, was speaking at a discussion in Dhaka on Sunday.

“I have a special proposal. Go to our neighbouring countries and you’ll see that elections are held after every four years.

“Go to America and England and you’ll see the same happening there. So, why do our governments have to stay for five years?”   

He asked that the government reduce its terms to four years and hand state power to a non-party government for the last three months of its term.

“Only then will we have a first-class election.”

The Constitution sets the term for the government and parliament for five years. The country has seen three elections under caretaker governments but the ruling Awami League has abolished the system through the 15th Amendment in 2011.

Chowdhury’s demand for the return of the caretaker system is in line with the party which sat out the 10th general election in 2014 after a prolonged movement against holding elections under an elected government. 

He was the BNP’s founding secretary general and became president in 2001 after being nominated by the party. 

He came down heavily on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad while criticising the ongoing Union Parishad elections for being ‘shameful’.

“What kind of an election is this? So many people are killed… and there is random voting, people are forced to withdraw their candidacy.

“The government does not feel shame but I do because we are senior citizens … but the honourable chief election commissioner has no backbone. I have read newspaper reports that he said he’ll need tanks during the next election. He should die of shame!”