Acting Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana ATM Masum has issued the following statement on 5th December, 2021 marking the Fall of Autocracy Day on 6th December.

6th December is being marked as Fall of Autocracy Day. On 6th December of 1990, the then tyrannical rule collapsed in the wake of massive protests of the students and the general masses. Later, all political parties have come to a consensus to hold free, fair and credible national election under a caretaker regime, proposed by Jamaat-e-Islami.

Power was transferred to Justice Shahabuddin Ahmad. A parliamentary election held under the caretaker government in 1991. This election gained huge acceptance and credibility across the globe. Because of the people’s demand, the system of caretaker government system was also included in the constitution in 1996. Subsequently, national parliamentary election took place in 1996 and 2001 under a caretaker government. A congenial environment was subsequently created in favor of democracy.

The incumbent government cancelled the caretaker government system to linger its rule and also to preserve its political interest with an excuse of a court verdict in 2011. Although all amicus curiae gave their views in favor of the caretaker government system. But the system was finally annulled defying those expert’s sincere recommendations. As a result, one party autocratic rule launched in the country. People’s voting rights was seized. The electoral system was destroyed as well. Resultantly, people have lost their interest about politics and elections-which is alarming for democracy. The country actually is going back towards the pre-90 situations. To some extent, it is worse than that.

I am urging the fellow countrymen to make unified resistance against autocracy in order to establish democracy, rule of law, voting and fundamental rights of the people.