Bdnews24.com . Dhaka
Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, the outgoing speaker and a failed contender from BNP-led alliance of ninth parliamentary election has said he feared a ‘parliamentary autocracy’ as the incoming treasury bench would have a massive majority in the house.
In an interview with Bdnews24.com on Saturday the speaker said after administering oath to the newly-elected MPs of the Al-led alliance, he, however, believed the 31-strong BNP-Jamaat combine would be able to challenge the Awami League and its allies in parliament unless they were obstructed.
‘They should be able to give a good fight,’ Sircar told the news agency at his office in the parliament building.
‘People’s faith on the democratic practice would go if the ruling parties resort
to muzzling the opposition in the house and oppress them outside,’ said Sircar.
He said he would neither run polls in future nor encourage his son to be in politics. ‘I call it a day. I will be in legal profession as I am a barrister,’ he said.
Sircar was optimistic about the BNP prospects and said he would back the BNP if it called strikes in protest at ‘oppression’.
‘This [calling general strikes] is their constitutional right,’ he said.
‘But they must not damage cars and business establishments, resort to arson, or attack and kill people and get engaged in other unconstitutional actions,’ he added.
‘If the opposition calls strikes and hartals, people judge their actions and take decisions in democratic ways,’ Sircar said.
‘As a politician, I am really frustrated. Black money now controls politics,’ he said.
Sircar, who fought to retain Panchagarh-1 seat on a BNP ticket, claimed he tried to maintain his impartiality as guardian of the parliament.
‘Democracy will suffer in future unless good sense prevails upon them [Awami League],’ said Sircar.
He said the Awami League should ‘give the microscopic opposition the chance to play their role in parliament.’
Courtesy: newagebd.com
