Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus on Sunday said that a free, fair and participatory election would be held in Bangladesh after necessary reforms to administration, judiciary, the Election Commission, electoral system and law-order sector.
鈥楢 free, fair and participatory election will be held after necessary reforms to administration, judiciary, the Election Commission, electoral system, law-order sector and free flow of information to give the student-people a successful culmination,鈥� he said while addressing the nation in the evening.
听BTV, BTV World and BTV Chattogram centre broadcasted his address.
Professor Yunus said that the main aim of the election was to introduce an accountable political system against corruption, looting and mass killing.
Local government institutions, he said, must be strengthened and decentralisation of power should be ensured to consolidate democracy.
Claiming that the government has taken a strong stance against corruption, the chief adviser said that all the advisers to the interim government would disclose their wealth statements within the quickest possible time.
He said that submitting wealth statements would be made mandatory for all government officials at phases.
To take steps against corruption at the state level, an ordinance will be proclaimed to appoint an Ombudsman in line with the Article 77 of the Constitution.
He said that different countries and the United听 Nations had already extended their full support for the present interim government.
鈥榃e will maintain friendly relations with all countries. Mutual trust, believes and cooperation will be the base of our foreign policy. We are respectful to all international laws, including human rights one. We have taken steps to become signatory to the international convention on enforced disappearances,鈥� he said.
About reforms to different sectors, the chief adviser said that health sector was one of the most corrupt sectors in Bangladesh and necessary reforms would be brought to this sector to ensure enough healthcare for the country鈥檚 people.
The chief adviser said that all involved in the health sector would be made accountable while initiatives would be taken to modernise hospitals and presence of doctors and experts would be ensured at the hospitals.
The 2006 Nobel Laureate said that the present generation dreamt of sustainable and environment-friendly development.
鈥楾here is no alternative to bringing carbon emission to zero level to address climate change impacts and ensure a healthy world for the future generation. Our government will provide maximum importance to protection of environment and climate. Young generation will be involved in this programme,鈥� he said.
About national solidarity, the chief adviser said that the interim government believed in national unity aimed at bringing reforms. 鈥業t will be ensured through political unity that women, children, disabled and religious minorities and indigenous people all are the citizens of the country and entitled to get equal protection as per the law.鈥�
He said that initiatives would be taken to ensure the rights to all, while a special assistant with the status of an adviser would be appointed to develop national solidarity.
Professor Yunus said that the government had activated all programmes to minimise sufferings of the flood-hit people.
Meanwhile, he said, advisers have visited different flood-affected areas and a control room was set up at his office. Initiatives are being taken to minimise flood consequences and find ways to control floods in the future, he added.
The chief adviser said that he directed the armed forces, police and other law enforcing agencies to identify their members who were directly involved in killing, disappearances and physical and mental tortures, and bring to them to justice.
Mentioning that he has directed to the authorities concerned to prepare a list of the victims of killing and disappearances, he said: 鈥業 have no word to express my sympathy to their families. We will continue our efforts to bring peace in their lives鈥�.
Professor Yunus mentioned that he directed the armed forces, police and other law enforcers to take all possible measures to regain peoples鈥� confidence.
A committee, he said, had already been formed to prepare a white paper on corruption, money laundering, anti-people agreements and looting in the name of taking protects that took place in the last 15 years.
The chief adviser said that he held meetings with envoys and representatives of donor agencies, calling upon them to provide all-out support to rebuild the country after the student-people revolution.
He urged all the Bangladeshi expatriates to send money to the country using official channels, noting that an initiative will be taken soon so that oversee workers can go and return home with honor and dignity.
Professor Yunus said that the interim government had to deal with an unstable law and order situation just after assuming office.
With people鈥檚 support and cooperation, all patriotic law enforcement agencies joined the work, he said.
A huge number of officers and employees became victims of discrimination as the fascist government made massive partisan in administration, he added.
鈥榃e have already started taking measures of correction. But time is needed to expedite the administration as well as to take appropriate decision through adopting specific method. For this reason, I am requesting all to keep patience,鈥� he said.
The chief adviser said, 鈥極ne of our targets is to bring back people鈥檚 confidence in institutions at every sector in the administration.鈥�
The government, he said, has taken initiative to ensure good governance in the banking sector which was turned into a place of looting and corruption.
Skilled manpower is being recruited in this sector, he said, adding the government has activated the initiative to create congenial atmosphere for trade and commerce, establish discipline in banking sector and bring the inflation and price of essential commodities under control to ease the people鈥檚 lifestyle.
Professor Yunus said that Bank Commission would be formed for making long-term reform in banking sector.
A framework would be formulated for overall situation and reformation of the financial sector and it will be disclosed before the people soon, he said.
He said that steps would be taken soon for removing indiscipline from share market, transport and other sectors where indiscipline exists.
The chief adviser said that works had begun to free the judiciary from corruption and party influence.
Initiatives have been taken to ensure freedom and accountability of judiciary through a specific process, he said, adding justice will be ensured in all wrongdoings of the fascist government including heinous crimes like extra judicial killing, enforced disappearance, killing, abduction and 鈥楢yna Ghor鈥� and all those who are involved with these offences will be brought to book.
He said that all false cases would be withdrawn after making list and trial would be ensured in corruption and laundering of wealth.
The chief adviser said that Police Commission would be formed to create a pro-people, party-influence free and accountable structure in view of law and order.
Necessary reforms would be made under the leadership of the commission after getting the United Nations investigation report and exchanging views with all responsible agencies and the people, he said.
He said that free flow of information and freedom of mass media would be ensured. 鈥榃e are pledged bound to ensure the people鈥檚 right to information. Existing legal and other barriers to flow of information will be removed.
Repressing sections of those acts which hinder freedom of expressed will be amended, he said, and added that process had already been started after identifying such acts.
鈥榃e have already lifted the unwritten ban on foreign journalists on coming to the country. Concerned officers have been given directives to issue visas to foreign journalists quickly. We hope media workers will carry on neutral journalism in the changed situation,鈥� he said.
Professor Yunus said that the previous government established massive disorder in the field of education. 鈥榃e will take initiative for complete reformation of this (disorder). It is one of our priorities,鈥� he said.
He said that, after assuming office, the interim government had resumed all educational institutions within quickest possible time.
鈥極ur pledge is to ensure creative, safe and intimidation-free atmosphere for the students. At the same time, works for making the curriculum time-befitting will be begun soon,鈥� he said.
听
- False, fictitious cases of past 15 years to be withdrawn
- Ordinance to be proclaimed to appoint Ombudsman
- Advisers to disclose wealth statements
- Wealth statements to be made mandatory for public servants
-听 Judiciary, EC, admin to be reformed
- Police Commission to be formed
- Sectors to be made free from corruption
