Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources under the interim government, said, “A government formed through revolution is not at all concerned about its mandate.” She added, “It (the government) knows what its mandate is.”
She made these remarks on Friday (December 27) afternoon at the “Unity, Reform, Election: National Dialogue 2024” event held at the Khamar Bari Agricultural Institute Auditorium in the capital. The event was organized by the Forum for Bangladesh Studies.
Referring to the events of August 5, Syeda Rizwana said, “Courage and youth are interconnected. We have many literary works, stories, and poems that reflect this. I believe we truly understood the essence of courage from the July-August movements. Although we protested during Ershad’s regime, we did not exhibit this level of bravery.”
He said, “If we reach a consensus on reforms, there is no reason to consider each other as opponents. Opposition arises only when we claim to want reforms verbally but do not truly desire them in our hearts. That is when divisions grow larger.”
He added, “If we shy away from reforms this time, I do not believe the political stability the country needs will be achieved. We are not an elected government chosen by the people’s vote. However, a government formed through revolution is not at all worried about its mandate. It knows its mandate well. This mandate will require the cooperation of all of us.”
The advisor stated, “We see the reflection of the people’s will through reforms. If we fail to reflect the people’s will through reforms, achieving political stability will be difficult. If there remains a gap between the people’s expectations and us, we will repeatedly face political unease and complications.”
He concluded, “The path to unity is not straightforward; it will be winding and challenging. But we must be determined to ensure that we can reflect the hopes of the people.”
