Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus suggests minimum voter age should be 17 as he called for all to join the post-uprising reform drive preparatory to the next polls.
"To give their (youth) opinion on their own future, I think the voting age for them should be fixed at 17 years," he said in his virtual address to an election dialogue held here Friday.
Forum for Bangladesh Studies (FBS) arranged the dialogue at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh, in the wake
of some crosscurrents of dissenting views among stakeholders of the political changeover about the ongoing reforms and election timing.
He expressed his hope that the Election Reform Commission will surely recommend such an age of adulthood for the young, who played the vanguards in the July-August changeover.
"I may or may not choose that age. Suppose, I am in favour of making young people voters early. The more young they are, the more interested they are in change -- this is my argument. The youth gives them strength," the head of interim government said.
He said the youths' deep relations with information technology provide them this strength.
Turning to poll-reform dilemmas, he said the government has constituted 15 reform commissions for the country and the commissions will submit their reports
in January.
Prof Yunus said: "All the commissions will place many recommendations to us. We have now reached a stage that whatever anyone's opinion, we want to accomplish the reform works by quickly establishing a consensus."
He said the interim government wants to make arrangements so that "we can move forward on the path of elections".
And it is the responsibility of all -- every citizen, political party, every social, economic, business and religious community-to participate in the reform process with joy.
The chief adviser reaffirmed his government stand that the reforms and election preparation would continue simultaneously and said it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to arrange polls.
"Citizens do not have to spend time on this process until they get the poll schedule, but they must participate in the works of reform," the chief adviser advises.
He said those who are voters will participate (in the reform), and those who will be voters in the future should also fully engage themselves in the reform process.
Prof Yunus said the responsibility of each reform commission is to identify the main alternatives and recommend one of those to the nation.
In each case, he said, the responsibility is to prepare recommendations based on opinions of various parties on how the future will be shaped through reforms, making it easier for citizens to decide on their opinions.
But, the chief adviser said, it is not mandatory that all must accept the recommendations of commissions and that is why the National Consensus Building Commission has been formed.
Recalling with deep respects all the warriors who took part in the prolonged struggle against fascism, he said, "I especially salute the students who were martyred in the July mass uprising. Our debt to those who were injured, who lost their eyesight and who lost their limbs cannot be repaid. The nation will never forget their inspiration and contribution to the formation of a new Bangladesh."
Prof Yunus makes it clear that the sacrifice of the martyrs in the July uprising will not be meaningful without building a just society.
"Fascism drove Bangladesh away from all idealistic goals and put the nation into deep darkness," he told his audience.
"We are working to bring our beloved Bangladesh back to the path of equality, human dignity and justice," the chief adviser said, stressing the need for building an economy that ensures equality of wealth and opportunity for all.
The Nobel-laureate economist envisions such a political and state environment where the identity of minority and majority will be irrelevant.
"We all have one identity-I am a citizen of Bangladesh--and the state is obliged to ensure all my rights," said Prof Yunus.
(Inputs taken from BSS, UNB, media reports)
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