Chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus on Friday suggested that the minimum voter age should be stand at 17 years.
鈥楾o give their [youth] opinion on their own future, I think the voting age for them should be fixed at 17 years,鈥� he said in a video message played in an election dialogue in Dhaka.
Forum for Bangladesh Studies arranged the dialogue at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh.
In his video message, professor Yunus said that different countries had various age criteria for their nationals to make them voter.
He expressed his hope that the election reform commission would surely recommend such an age.
鈥業 may or may not choose that age. Suppose, I am in favour of making young people voters early. The younger they are, the more interested they are in change鈥攖his is my argument. The youth gives them strength,鈥� the chief adviser said.
He said that the youths鈥� deep relations with information technology provided them the strength.
Mentioning that the number of young people were huge, he said that they were interested in building the future of the country. 鈥業 do not know what the election reform commission will recommend. But if the majority of the people of the country like the age to be recommended by the commission, I will accept it to reach a consensus,鈥� Yunus said.
He said that the government had constituted 15 reform commissions for the country while the commissions would submit their reports in January.
鈥楢ll the commissions will place many recommendations to us. We have now reached a stage that whatever anyone鈥檚 opinion, we want to accomplish the reform works by quickly establishing a consensus,鈥� professor Yunus said.
He said that the interim government wanted to make arrangements so that they could move forward on the path of elections.
Professor Yunus said that it was the responsibility of every citizen, political party, social, economic, business and religious community to participate in the reform process with joy.
Noting that the reform and election preparations would continue simultaneously, he said that it was the responsibility of the election commission to arrange polls.
鈥楥itizens do not have to spend time on this process until they get the polls schedule, but they must participate in the works of reform,鈥� the chief adviser said.
He said that those who were voters would participate and those who would be voters in the future should also fully engage themselves in the reform process.
Professor Yunus said that the responsibility of each reform commission was to identify the main alternatives and recommend one of those to the nation.
Recalling with deep respect all the warriors who took part in the long struggle against fascism, he saluted the students who were martyred in the July mass uprising. 鈥極ur debt to those who were injured, who lost their eyesight and who lost their limbs cannot be repaid. The nation will never forget their inspiration and contribution to the formation of a new Bangladesh.鈥�
Professor Yunus said that the sacrifice of the martyrs in the July uprising would not be meaningful without building a just society.
鈥榃e are working to bring our beloved Bangladesh back to the path of equality, human dignity and justice,鈥� he said, stressing the need for building an economy that ensures equality of wealth and opportunity for all.
Professor Yunus said that there would be such a political and state environment where the identity of minority and majority would be irrelevant.
鈥榃e all have one identity - I am a citizen of Bangladesh and the state is obliged to ensure all my rights,鈥� he added.
