Staff Reporter:
Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikrom, yesterday said democracy has been restored in Bangladesh through the 13th parliamentary election, which he described as one of the freest, fairest and most credible elections in the country’s history.
“True development is not possible in a country without democracy,” he said while exchanging views with a delegation representing the Bangladesh-European Union, European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) and Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (B-SCAN) at his office at the JS Bhaban.
The Speaker said election observation teams from the European Union and various other countries had highly praised the election for its fairness.
He alleged that the Awami League government had undermined democracy in the country through injustice, oppression, repression and extrajudicial killings over 17 years, said a press release of parliament secretariat.
Hafiz Uddin said the July 2024 mass uprising had once again paved the way for the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh.
During the meeting, the delegation discussed ensuring voting rights for persons with disabilities, increasing their participation in the electoral process and strengthening their overall political representation.
The delegation also shared its views on ensuring representation of persons with disabilities in the activities of the Constitution Amendment Committee.
It further highlighted the need to facilitate persons with hearing disabilities in listening to and understanding parliamentary debates.
The European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) and B-SCAN are jointly working to ensure the voting rights and electoral participation of persons with disabilities in Bangladesh.
Relevant representatives of the Bangladesh-European Union and officials of the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat were present at the meeting.
