A group of academics, journalists and political analysts on Thursday asked all political parties to find a solution to the crisis over the form of interim-government for the upcoming parliamentary elections.\u00a0They made the call while addressing a seminar on \u2018democracy, elections and political crisis: role of mass media\u2019 organised by Dhaka University Journalists\u2019 Association at Teacher-Student Centre as part of marking the organisation\u2019s 28th founding anniversary.
\nThe panelists also stressed the need for neutral roles of the Election Commission and cooperation among the political parties, civil society and mass media.
\nSpeaking on the occasion, prime minister\u2019s media adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said, \u2018Politicians must find out a way to resolve the existing political stalemate so that non-political forces cannot grasp the national politics.\u2019
\n\u2018Election Commission plays pivotal role during election, and no matter under which governments \u2014 caretaker system or partisan system, the election must be held,\u2019 he said, \u2018The EC with institutional initiative can hold a free, fair and acceptable election alone.\u2019
\nHe also sought cooperation from the leaders of all political parties, civil society and mass media as well.
\nA former election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain expressed, however, uncertainty in holding the polls because of failure in negotiations between the two major political parties.
\n\u2018I have no answer to the questions whether the next general elections will be held or not,\u2019 he said, terming the possibility of holding the next parliamentary elections as the \u2018most vital crisis\u2019 for the country because neither elections ensure democracy nor do political parties practice democracy in the country.
\nExpressing his doubt about efficacy of the international interfere in resolving the crisis instead of own initiatives of the major political parties, he said, \u2018We expect that the next elections will be held with the participation of all political parties.\u2019
\nDU vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique called upon the political parties for talks to reach a solution.
\nIn his keynote paper, DU Professor Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque recommended \u2018neo-democratic government\u2019 where nobody in the state would be underprivileged in rights and opportunities.
\nChaired by DUJA president MM Jashim, the seminar was also addressed, among others, by DU mass communication and journalism professor Sheikh Abdus Salam, News Today editor Riazuddin Ahmed and private television Boishakhi TV\u2019s chief executive officer Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul.
\nEarlier in the morning, a colourful procession was brought out from TSC and it paraded the campus.<\/p>\n

-With New Age<\/span> input<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A group of academics, journalists and political analysts on Thursday asked all political parties to find a solution to the crisis over the form of interim-government for the upcoming parliamentary elections.\u00a0They made the call while addressing a seminar on \u2018democracy, elections and political crisis: role of mass media\u2019 organised by Dhaka University Journalists\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n