Social welfare minister and the ruling Awami League joint secretary Dipu Moni criticised a study by the United State-based Bangladeshi distinguished professor Ali Riaz.
Referring to another study, Dipu Moni came up with the criticism while participating in the general discussion on the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 in the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday.
The minister alleged that Ali Riaz had done a study with the intention of maligning the current government.
Citing a study titled 鈥楾he curious case of democratic backsliding in Bangladesh: an analysis of people's financial satisfaction鈥�, Dipu Moni said that economic security and prosperity positively influenced people鈥檚 perception of government and democracy, even if there were questions about the country's electoral system.
鈥楾his has emerged in a recent study. Analysing the data, researchers have shown that economic development and financial security maintain people's democratic positive practices,鈥� she said.
Dipu Moni said Professor Mofizur Rahman of Jagannath University and Shahriar Islam, a USA-based teacher, conducted the research.
This research basically proved that Ali Riaz鈥檚 research title was wrong, the minister said.
Dipu Moni claimed that Ali Riaz and others of the same type generally raised the issue of political influence, corruption and institutional weakness.
鈥楾heir (Ali Riaz and others) information and data are taken from secondary sources. But Mofizur Rahman and Shahriar Islam鈥檚 research has emphasised public opinion, which Ali Riaz and others have not done,鈥� he said.
Dipu Moni said that Ali Riaz and others only wanted to establish the concept of institutional and one-dimensional democratic retreats.
鈥楾hat means Ali Riaz and others did not consider the behaviour and reality of the people in the research. They have done this purposefully to malign the current government,鈥� she said.
鈥楧oes democracy ensure satisfaction with a one-day election every five years? Especially for those who are determined not to participate in the election without the guarantee of winning, will democracy be established only by taking the election with them?鈥� she said.