By IANS
Dhaka : An advisor, performing ministerial functions in Bangladesh, has put an official stamp on the widespread perception at home and abroad about the present interim government being “military backed”.
Law and Information Adviser Mainul Hosein also claimed Monday that the present administration was “different” from other interim governments as it was following “a roadmap to democracy, not working for elections only”, New Age newspaper said Tuesday.
Parties have been clamouring for lifting of the ban on the political activities in the country to pave the way for early elections. However, Hosein said the government’s objective was “to restore democracy by creating opportunities for honest people to contest polls”.
The interim government of Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed, who performs prime ministerial functions, assumed office on Jan 12, 2007, a day after president Iajuddin Ahmed proclaimed a state of emergency, slapping a ban on political activities.
Referring to the formation of the present cabinet of advisors, Hosein claimed that this government had “saved the nation from a civil war”.
“We came to power after the democratic process had collapsed,” he reminded newspaper editors and senior journalists who met him to complain about intimidation of media people during curfew hours in the last few days.
Spells of curfew were imposed on Aug 22 in all major towns and educational centres after a clash between students and army personnel at a football match in Dhaka University that snowballed into protests across the country for three days.
Hosein described the present administration as “a military-backed national government” and said there should not be any confusion about its “exit plan” after handing over power in a democratic way.
“It is a national government in reality…a collective government… a military-backed government,” Hosein said.
“If the government’s exit plan is obstructed, the plan of many people to survive will not work,” he warned.
Terming the incidents at Dhaka University as politically motivated, the law adviser said the government had “successfully overcome” the “dangerous plan to pit common people against the army”.
Agitating students burnt effigies of the Army chief Gen. Moin U. Ahmed on the second day of the clashes.
Bangladesh has had several military-backed governments between 1975 and 1990.
However, Ahmed and some of the military top brass have said that the armed forces were not for grabbing political power and they only wanted to facilitate clean, good governance and restoration of democracy.
Ahmed has been openly critical of corruption among political parties while the government has made attempts to float political parties amidst the ban on political activities.