‘Steps needed so that fascists cannot return to Parliament’

Chief of Electoral Reform Commission Badiul Alam Majumder has said, "We need to make our political arena free of criminals. We need to ensure that autocratic fascists cannot return to the Parliament.”

He said this while speaking at a seminar at the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) in Cumilla on Saturday. 

“The country’s political environment must be cleansed, ensuring that criminals who have killed people, carried out extrajudicial killings, engaged in various forms of oppression and torture, or committed crimes against humanity are not allowed to join any political party or play any role in politics”, he said.

After various processes, “We have made around 150 recommendations to strengthen the electoral system.  We have recommended that actions be taken against those involved in the scandalous last three elections. It has also been recommended that a separate authority be formed to make Election Commission accountable and responsible”, he said. 

Organised by the Cumilla Bachao Mancha, the seminar was held on the evaluation and approval of a paper on the Dream Megacity Cumilla and AHK Satellite City. 

The working paper was presented by former MP and BNP chairperson's Adviser Monirul Haq Chowdhury.

Other speakers at the seminar included Senior Advocate Abdullah Al Mamun of the Supreme Court, BARD's Additional Director General Dr Abdul Karim, Executive Officer of the District Council Nazrul Islam, Cumilla City Corporation Engineer Abu Sayem Majumdar, Cumilla Bachao Mancha President Advocate Golam Faruk, and General Secretary Advocate Motaleb Hossain Majumdar.