Overhaul the power structures before polls

National Citizen Party leaders have demanded fundamental reforms in the country's power structure before national election.

They also warned that without decentralisation and accountability, polls would only legitimise a flawed and authoritarian system.

Speaking at a discussion titled "Democratic Transformation: Fundamental Reforms and Elections" at the Jatiya Press Club, the leaders said the political framework in Bangladesh has long enabled concentrated power and partisan control of state institutions.

They said the demand for reform, which stems from two mandates, the 1971 Liberation War and the July uprising, rejects authoritarianism.

NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said any attempt at reform or election ignoring the foundational values of equality, human dignity, and justice would amount to a betrayal of the Liberation War. "If we bypass these values, we forfeit the democratic future we seek."

Reflecting on the July uprising, he said the movement was led by ordinary people, workers, religious scholars, women, Hindus, and the rising middle class, united in their demand for a systemic change.

He criticised the politicisation of state institutions and warned that replacing one leader with another, without reform, would perpetuate authoritarianism.

Nasiruddin also called for accountability for alleged rights violations committed by law enforcement agencies over the past 15 years. "If justice cannot be ensured institutionally, then the people's court will try them."

He demanded the "separation of the military from the politics".

NCP Member Secretary Akhter Hossain said the existing constitutional framework grants the prime minister absolute power. "The legal structure must be rewritten to prevent authoritarianism."

He said goodwill alone cannot ensure democracy if institutions are built to enable unchecked executive control.

Akhter added that autocratic leaders could still be constrained if the constitution included strong checks and decentralisation.

He criticised partisan appointments to institutions such as the judiciary, Election Commission, and Anti-Corruption Commission.

Referring to the Appellate Division's acquittal of Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, he said, "Courts under Sheikh Hasina's tenure ignored the principle of reasonable doubt and weaponised trials against opposition figures."

He also urged Jamaat to publicly clarify its historical role [in 1971]. "We support elections, but not a rushed one. Reform must come first."

NCP Joint Convener Sarwar Tushar said, "Those who only talk about elections are merely seeking power. True defenders of democracy are calling for structural reforms first."

He said future elections must be preceded by reforms ensuring that no one can remain in office without public consent.

Prof Dilara Choudhury, a political scientist, called for justice for all state-sponsored killings, including BDR, Shapla Chattar, and the July 24 incidents. "Justice must come first. Only then should elections be held."

She warned that rushed polls would only repeat a cycle of oppression.

Asaduzzaman Fuad of AB Party, Md Ashraf Ali of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Constitution Reform Commission member Sharif Bhuiyan, BIGD fellow Mirza M Hasan, and Syed Hasib Uddin Hossain of the Rashtra Sanskar Andolon also spoke at the event, organised by the NCP's Reform Coordination Committee.

Earlier in the programme, Javed Rasin, a member of the Reform Coordination Committee, presented the party's core proposals, including formation of an independent EC, ensuring judicial independence, introducing a non-partisan caretaker government during polls, and launching administrative reforms.