Today’s episode of The Daily Star’s ‘The Election Talks 2018’ brings Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, to the studio.

Dr Khan sheds light on the state of democracy in the country and the promises made by political parties ahead of the election in a tete-e-tete with Shakhawat Liton, planning editor of The Daily Star.

According to his opinion, “if this election fails then it will be a massive harm for democracy”.

“No opposition party of Bangladesh believes that a fair election can take place without a caretaker government. But this time they have taken the risk of contesting the polls under a partisan government,” he shares.

“So, if this election fails then it will be very harmful for the democracy,” he added.

Regarding the election manifestos of the political parties, he said that no real progress has been made in the political culture of the country. The manifestos are just the continuation of the past activities and present situation of the parties, he said.

Actually, even the voters are not concerned with all the aspects of the manifestos, he said.

Watch the video to know more!

Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain has criticised Election Commission over its role in tackling the heat surfacing on the field due to approaching election.

“I heard the chief election commissioner is embarrassed over attack on BNP’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul,” he said at the launching show of The Daily Star’s ‘Election Talks 2018’.

“These terms are not for the Election Commission. He might as well leave the commission feeling embarrassed. The commission is an election-oriented institution,” he said.

“I would have been very happy had the CEC rather said that enquiry committees have been sent to the places to enquire the recent incidents,” he said.

“Had he said the commission is investigating these attacks and punish those responsible… had he taken one or two prompt actions on reports of the enquiry committee, it would have been precedent,” Sakhawat Hossain said.

In response to question on whether the Election Commission is adequately manned to handle all the incidents, Hossain said: “Bangladesh’s EC is one of the largest in terms of manpower. The Indian EC has 300 officers and we have 3,000.”

“The power vested onto the EC is more powerful than martial law. In order to make an election free and fair, it can do anything provided that it does not contradict with the laws and the constitution,” Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat said.

The Daily Star is launching a new series of talk show ‘The Election Talks 2018’ where experts will be analysing all aspects of the upcoming general elections, contemporary politics, events and incidents.

In today’s episode Dr. Shahdeen Malik, Advocate of Bangladesh Supreme Court, talks with the show host Shakhawat Liton, planning editor of The Daily Star.

In today’s episode of ‘The Election Talks 2018’, noted economist Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, a former adviser to a caretaker government, talks with The Daily Star about the election to be held tomorrow.

Dr Zillur Rahman said, "Although hope was created due to the participation of all the political parties, but we stumbled when the campaigning began."

The attacks carried out reportedly on behalf of the ruling party were more in number, he said.

Capturing the field became more important than securing people's vote during the electioneering, he added.

Watch the video to know more!