Dhaka: Speakers at a discussion here on Monday stressed the need for creating awareness among people about exercising their right to franchise. 

The discussion was held at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) on the forthcoming 11th parliamentary elections under the banner ‘Amra Sadharon Jonogon’.

The speakers put forward 6-point demand, including freedom of the judiciary, establishing good governance and ensuring people’s voting right and more, reports the UNB. 

Secretary of SushashonerJonno Nagorik (Shujon) Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar said a functional democracy cannot be established if common people do not play their due role in election. 

He stressed the importance of parliamentary election saying, ‘Election itself is not democracy but there’s no alternative to it to secure democratic governance.’ 

Mentioning that there is no system to monitor government activities, Badiul Alam said people are living in a state where good governance is absent. 

‘People need to know the issues of the upcoming national election and be aware of their rights,’ he added. 

Feroza Begum, who presided over the event as a representative of commoners, said, ‘In talk-shows, every speaker talks about people’s rights but we people have no scope of expressing our thoughts. We fail to exercise our rights because of our ignorance about thise. People need to exercise their voting rights unitedly.’ 

Chairman of National Congress of Bangladesh (NCB) Saber Ahmed Sabbir and DRU executive member D M Amirul Islam also spoke on the occasion.