‘Without Tk 10 to 20 crore, you can’t contest elections’

Asif, also youth and sports adviser, said, “We have seen that those who talked most about reforms somehow shifted to anti-reform politics after August 5. We really don’t understand what benefits this anti-reform politics brings for them. It certainly harms our country, but how does it benefit them? I fail to understand that.”

He went on to say, “When it comes to democratic transformation, we seem to be going in circles. We talk about democratic change — 300 members will go to the parliament. Among these 300, the question is, how many have Tk 20 crore? Without 20 crore taka, no one can contest elections. That is the current reality in Bangladesh. Without at least 10 to 20 crore taka, contesting elections has no meaning. One can file nomination papers, but the deposit will be forfeited.”

“If you take money from any businessman or anyone else to contest elections, then… that’s why we have to think over and over whether to participate or not. If yes, then how? Will people vote without money? Or how realistic is it for us to hold elections under the existing system?” the adviser questioned.

Asif also said, “Many mention the case of Zohran Mamdani. That is an exceptional case. Such an exceptional case cannot happen in all 300 seats. Maybe it happens for one or two seats in this election, but not for all 300. And you cannot form a majority government with such exceptional cases.”

He said that within an hour or two of Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on August 5, some political leaders had aligned themselves with the establishment.

“As young leaders, we also made mistakes. At that time, a few of us in our mid-20s were responsible for policymaking. But when our seniors handed over the responsibility to the establishment to form an interim government, there was little left for us to do,” he explained.

Asif Mahmud claimed that they had advised political leaders not to approach the establishment, but their warnings went unheeded. Considering the situation in the country, student leaders quickly agreed on forming a government afterward.

He further added that between August 5 and 8, the student leaders did not make any decision bypassing political leaders. Without political support, it was difficult for the young student leaders to predict the consequences of any unilateral decision.

Asif also said that during this period, he proposed organising a discussion at Dhaka University on “neutral ground,” but that did not happen. Instead, they were asked to come to the Cantonment, he said. Eventually, Bangabhaban had to be chosen as a middle ground.

The roundtable was moderated by Anti-Discrimination Student Movement President Rifat Rashid.

Poet and political thinker Farhad Mazhar, AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju, Professor Abdul Latif Masum of Jahangirnagar University’s Department of Government and Politics, and Col (retd) Hasinur Rahman, among others, spoke at the programme.