Dhaka desk: The BNP yesterday announced that it would take measures to curtail unilateral powers of the Prime Minister, to strike a balance in the executive powers of the republic. This would be done by a constitutional amendment.
“The monolithic executive authority of the Prime Minister has created an authoritarian rule with a parliamentary façade. In order to bring an end to this situation, the executive powers of the republic shall be balanced by an appropriate constitutional amendment,” said party chairperson Khaleda Zia.
“The current constitutional order vests all executive powers of the republic unilaterally in the Prime Minister. This is completely inconsistent with the recognised form of the parliamentary system,” she added.
The former premier was revealing the party’s much-talked-about “Vision 2030” at a crowded press conference at Westin Hotel in Dhaka.
She said if the BNP is voted to power, it would repeal all black laws, including the Special Powers Act 1974, and implement the universal declaration of human rights of the United Nations. “The BNP will put an end to all forms of inhuman physical and mental torture and extra-judicial killings, and enforced disappearance and killings to keep people free from all forms of cruelty,” she promised.
The BNP supremo revealed the party's “Vision 2030”, which aims to make Bangladesh a higher level middle-income country. In effect, it turned out to be the party's election manifesto for the next general election to be held in early 2019.
The 41-page “Vision 2030” contained all the socio-economic, political, administrative, education, health, energy, climate change, communications, defence issues, foreign policy, development, ICT, sports, cultural affairs, communal harmony, militancy and terrorism issues.
Khaleda said, if voted to power, her party would examine if upper house of parliament can be established keeping the ‘unitary character and structure of the constitution intact’.
She said the BNP would reintroduce the referendum system in the Constitution to restore the democratic rights of the people.
She said there is no transparency in the appointment process of judges. The criteria for appointment, promotion, posting and jurisdiction of the judges of the highest to the lowest courts would only be merit, rising above partisan considerations, she observed.
“Judges of the higher judiciary shall be appointed on the basis of strict standards of knowledge, wisdom, morality, patriotism, sense of judgment and goodwill. In order to ensure competence, merit and transparency in the appointment of judges of the higher courts in the light of the Constitution, a law shall be enacted, laying down the competence and standard through a Select Committee and Supreme Court Judicial Council,” she said.
The BNP chairperson also promised that fair justice and rule of law for the people will be ensured through effective independence and neutrality of the judiciary. “The lower courts will be freed from the control of the executives and a separate secretariat under the Supreme Court will control them,” she said.
“Vision 2030” has been prepared in keeping with the guideline provided by the BNP chairperson during the party's national council on March 19 last year.
Leaders, including those of the BNP and its allies, ambassador and representatives from the United Kingdom, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, France, Australia, the EU and the UNDP, senior journalists and civil society members attended the two-hour long function.
Khaleda said the BNP is determined to reach the destination of democracy, justice and fair-play, which had been the tenets of the Liberation War consecrated by the people, and hence the party wants to combine together 3Gs—Good policy, Good governance and Good administration.
“The BNP wants to establish a forward-looking new stream of governance and political culture by embracing novelty as against politics of vengeance and requital, and the party would make efforts to reach a new social contract towards this goal,” she noted.
She said the BNP wants to achieve the profound objective of building an inclusive society through a greater fusion of all sections of people. “The BNP wants to put an end to political and social divisions in the country by uniting people with the sprit of Bangladeshi nationalism,” she added.
Khaleda said the BNP would not interfere in the internal affairs of any other country, nor will it create any security threat to any other country. “In the same vein, the BNP commits that strong resistance will be put up if any other country interferes in internal affairs of Bangladesh and poses any threat to state security of Bangladesh.”
She further said the BNP believes that Bangladesh has friends across the border and no master.
She also said that the Banking Division under the Ministry of Finance will be abolished and the task of monitoring the nationalised banks shall rest upon the central bank.
The party also plans to turn Bangladesh into a high-middle-income nation by increasing the per capita income to $5,000 from current $1,466 so that the country achieves a double-digit annual growth rate by 2030.
The BNP supremo said they would declare every freedom fighter as an honoured citizen of the state and would prepare a correct list of the freedom fighters in a transparent manner.
She said killing fields and mass graves in different areas of the country will be identified and memorial monuments would be constructed to keep the memory of the freedom struggle alive.
Khaleda said it is a matter of shame the way freedom fighters and martyrs are evaluated at the state level. The BNP will prepare a correct list of martyrs of the freedom struggle through an intensive survey at the behest of the state and they would be given due honour and state recognition.
She said the BNP would repeal the controversial Section of 57 of the ICT Act and constitute a commission, led by a former justice of the Supreme Court, and with renowned educationists, renowned citizens, IT specialist and experienced journalists as members. “A media policy for the print, electronic and online media acceptable to all quarters will be adopted on the basis of the report of the commission,” she added.
Khaleda said the BNP will take the initiative for dialogue in the sprit of regional and mutual cooperation for sharing of water of international rivers according to the International River Law. “If necessary, tough international diplomatic initiatives will also be taken,” she ascertained.
She said a post and office of Ombudsman will be created as per the Constitution to ensure administrative accountability and transparency.
Pay and allowances and other previllages of public servants will be increased in line with the prices of essentials, she promised.
Khaleda said the BNP would construct underground tunnels under the Karnaphuli, Buriganga, Gomoti, Padma, Jamuna and the Meghna rivers.
“Realisation of our vision is difficult but not impossible…We hope we shall be getting sincere support of the development partners and active support of our people,” she said.
“Vision 2030” features 256 points under 37 sections, including democracy, nation-building, good governance, defence, foreign policy, moral rearmament, service delivery, social safety network, Liberation War, terrorism, extremism and militancy, economy and development, media and freedom of expression, ICT and local government.
