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The second-in-commands of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the main opposition Awami League (AL) yesterday expressed their willingness to rid their parties of criminal godfathers.

Secretary General of BNP Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and General Secretary of the AL Md Abdul Jalil offered to discard criminals amidst huge applause at the closing ceremony of the three-day National Policy Review Forum 2003 at Hotel Sheraton yesterday. The two stalwarts also declared that the godfathers would not be allowed to get back in the party fold once expelled.

The Forum, co-organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), The Daily Star and the Prothom Alo, was presided over by CPD Chairman Prof. Rehman Sobhan. CPD Executive Director Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, the Prothom Alo Editor Motiur Rahman and The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam delivered separate statements.

"Let us make a list of godfathers and expel them from our parties. If we want to maintain our parties clean, there should be a mutual commitment. If Awami League expels one, BNP would not take him and vice versa," Mannan Bhuiyan said. He said criminals could not be assets for any party, rather they are liabilities. He claimed that during the countrywide army-led clampdown on criminals, majority of the criminals belonging to his party were caught. "We didn't even press for their release as we wanted the nation to get rid of these elements." Speaking on the same issue earlier, Jalil said that both BNP and AL have to reach a consensus that none draft in godfathers thrown out by the other party. "I'll not deny the presence of godfathers in our party but the government should also acknowledge theirs."

Both the leaders were also concerned at the criminalisation of politics. Career politicians are being marginalised with the entry of black money holders and retired bureaucrats into politics. Jalil made a specific proposal that no party should nominate a retired bureaucrat to run member of parliament or to become minister unless they (bureaucrats) worked for party for five years.

Both leaders also expressed similar views on development policy formulation. They disfavoured donor-prescribed reforms and emphasised using local policy-planning capabilities for necessary reforms in various sectors. They appreciated the tasks carried out under the 'National Policy Review Forum 2003' initiative and assured that due importance would be given to its recommendations in their party forums.

Jalil alleged the government was not giving the opposition enough opportunities to speak in the parliament and that microphone of even the opposition leader was put off.In response, Mannan Bhuiyan assured of all cooperation from the government in the coming sessions of the parliament and urged the Awami League to join the budget session beginning from June 10.

He said while in the opposition, the BNP had boycotted the sessions of the parliament although he was against 'the culture of boycotting parliament'.
In a lighter vein, he said while a political party has to spend about Tk 20 lakh to organise a public meeting, it is a good opportunity to speak in the House against the government without having to spend.

Turning to the role of the press, Bhuiyan called for a more positive projection of happenings in the society and discarding a negative portrayal of those. He hoped the members of the civil society would take a neutral stand on issues of national development. The CPD chairman said if politicians can have meetings in a cordial atmosphere in such forums, there should be no bar for them to play their due role in the parliament.

Referring to loan default culture, Prof. Rehaman Sobhan said given the magnitude of the problem, a cosmetic surgery would not do. "We need a deep surgery. "He suggested that ministers and parliamentary standing committees can have meetings, time to time, with the taskforces which prepared the policy recommendations under the 'National Policy Review Forum 2003' initiative.

Earlier, CPD Executive Director Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said their organisation would go for another round of policy review to evaluate the progress of implementation of the recommendations prior to the next parliamentary polls. The recommendations would soon be handed over to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina.

Debapriya said the taskforces which worked on policy issues under the CPD initiative would have meetings with the parliamentary standing committees concerned when all the bodies are formed. Editor of the Prothom Alo Motiur Rahman emphasised putting an end to rivalry and strife between the BNP and the AL, which he thought, was holding the country back from achieving the desired development.

He said democracy would not be consolidated if the parliament remained ineffective. He reminded the ruling alliance that it could not do much on two major fronts -- curbing criminal activities and corruption. He also reminded the main opposition that it failed to live up to its promise of not calling hartal anymore.Editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam said people want to get rid of a cycle of patterned behaviour with the political parties disregarding each others' rights. Both the AL and the BNP tend to treat the opposition in the same manner while in power, he observed

He wondered why people have to wait for the Armed Forces Day to see their top two political leaders (the prime minister and the opposition leader) sit together and smile at each other. He emphasised mutual respect and amity in political culture. With its overwhelming majority in the parliament, the BNP has got ample scope to show magnanimity, Mahfuz Anam noted.