Change system to elect president

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said the system of electing country's president should be changed for direct election as he observed the incumbent has 'tarnished' the image of his position being 'influenced' by the prime minister.
“The president of our country needs to be elected by people's representatives and he has to be totally free from the influence of prime minister,” he said.
Prof Muzaffer came up with the suggestion while speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable organised by the newly formed political party Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) at the National Press Club yesterday.
PDP Convener Ferdous Ahmed Quershi was the keynote speaker at the roundtable titled '1/11 changeover: Roadmap of future politics'.
Advocate Golam Kibria chaired the programme. Editor of the daily Manab Zamin Motiur Rahman Chowdhury, Amadersomoy Editor Nayeemul Islam Khan, Amardesh Editor Amanullah Kabir and Columnist Dr Badiul Alam Majumder also spoke in the roundtable.
Badiul Alam Majumder suggested the political parties to sit in a dialogue with the caretaker government and take preparation for the next election with a fair commitment to eradicate terrorism, corruption and fundamentalism from the country.
The civil-society stalwart, however, aired doubts about the politicians' preparedness for polls in the changed context. “There is suspicion as to whether the political parties are prepared for election,” he said.
The speakers at the meet stressed the need for establishing participatory democratic system in the country to sustain the real democracy and ensure equal opportunities for all citizens.
“Democracy in the country can't be permanent without establishing the participatory democracy,” TIB chairman told his audience, at a time when the country is passing through a transitional period following a serious political crisis over electoral issues.
He observed that democracy in politics could not flourish if there be no practice of democracy in society as a whole and in all sectors, including economics.
Criticising army role in the administration, Prof Ahmad said the structure of country's civil service has already broken down as “many retired army personnel engaged with the administration”.
He added an efficient, transparent and neutral civil administration has to be created as early as possible for the development of the country.
He pointed out big discriminations instead of equal opportunity among the people of the country as some five percent people occupied country's total 40 percent resources, which should be eradicated.
“Our government is also run at the direction of this vested quarter,” he said.
About food security, he said the government should concentrate on ensuring food security in the country, as this factor might have to be faced by all upcoming governments in the future.
Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi in his speech said politics has to be freed from the clutches of two major political parties and urged the government to create atmosphere for multiparty politics in the country.
“If one party goes to power, the other is seen on the streets,” he said about the political conflicts in the past.