Path to building a new state far from smooth

Sacrifices made during the students-people mass uprising have not only paved the way for creation of a discrimination-free Bangladesh but also provided an opportunity for the overall reconstruction of the state, said the country’s prominent civil society activists during a  national consultation yesterday.
CSO Alliance, which coordinate and represent the country’s NGO sector, organised  the event on “Civil Society: Past, Present, and Future” at a city hotel.
There’s both optimism and valid concerns about building an equitable society in Bangladesh, and the journey to achieve this goal remains challenging, he added.
Addressing the event, Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, “There is a consensus on the vision for a new Bangladesh. However, diverse forces are at play among those involved in the movement.”
He said many of their agendas contradict the core spirit of the anti-discrimination movement, aiming instead to create discrimination.

Iftekharuzzaman said vested interests have been aggressively working against the vision of building a secular Bangladesh, posing significant threats.
He questioned whether civil society and NGOs could remain silent in light of such a situation. He said civil society and NGOs must be proactive and urged the government to create an enabling environment for their activities.
Former adviser to a caretaker government Hossain Zillur Rahman said sacrifices of the students and people have created an opportunity for change.
“However, having an opportunity does not mean that the desired goal has been achieved,” he said. Changes will not come if the character of power is not pluralistic, he added.

He said if politics is viewed merely as a leadership domain, the opportunities that have emerged cannot be advanced.
“Thinking politically and engaging in politics are two distinct matters. Everyone should think politically,” said Zillur, attributing this as a challenge for the civil society.
He also called for abolishing the use of party symbols in local government elections.
Social Welfare Adviser to the interim government Sharmeen Murshid said political parties rule the country and come to power through elections. However, historically, power has not been transferred solely through political parties.
She said political parties have created spaces for caretaker and interim governments because they have failed to reach a common national vision and lacked partnership among themselves.
She urged political parties to restructure and present themselves anew to the youth. She said  democratic institutions have not been adequately protected in the past and that parties have not established democracy within their own structures.
BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said there should be a consensus on key issues that need urgent reform. The remaining issues should be left for an elected government as delaying polls will lead to controversy and fringe elements may use that opportunity to disrupt the nation.
Joining the event virtually, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said the struggle for establishing a discrimination-free society and the dream of building a new state will not be smooth.
It is because “everyone has left their footprint and beneficiaries” within the system who are acting as active forces, she said.
She added many events have been taking place while at times, “events are being orchestrated”.
She urged everyone to have trust in the interim government.
Former adviser to the caretaker government and Convener of CSO Alliance Rasheda K Chowdhury said since independence, civil society has contributed in various ways to fulfill their responsibilities in nation-building.
She said while there were some limitations in the past, now time has come for civil society groups to move forward.
Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam said while they have protested against violence against women, they have often found themselves without support.
Local government expert Tofail Ahmed said the interim government faces immense challenges and high expectations, and harsh criticism makes it difficult for them to function effectively.
Syed Nasim Manzur, chairman of Landmark Footwear, highlighted the need for investment and growth in the private sector to retain talent, as relying solely on government jobs is insufficient to prevent brain drain.
BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh said the event focused on documenting the contributions of civil society over the past 50 years since independence.
At the event, the CSO Alliance launched a research book titled “Fifty Years of Bangladesh’s Independence: The Role of Civil Organisations in Socio-Economic Change.”
Civil society has played a vital role in various events, including the self-determination movements, the 1952 Language Movement, the 1970 floods, the Liberation War in 1971, and subsequent reconstruction efforts, as per the research conducted by Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue.