BNP’s claim reflected in German study: Fakhrul

Senior Correspondent: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has found a similarity of their allegation with a report of German-based institution published by BBC online yesterday.

German-based think-tank Bertelsmann Stiftung said in its report published yesterday that Bangladesh is among five countries that no longer meet minimum standards for democracy and are now under autocratic rule, he mentioned.

Fakhrul said it is a matter of shame as Bangladesh has been enlisted as ‘one of five new autocratic countries’ by a German-based institution.

“BBC online has published a report based on the findings of a German-based institution that Bangladesh is one of five low-ranking countries where autocracy emerged eliminating democracy,” he said.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office in the capital on Saturday noon, Fakhrul further said, “As Bangladeshi citizens and those of us who fought for democracy and earned the country’s independence feel ashamed of seeing the study findings.”

Mentioning that their party has long been saying democracy is absent in Bangladesh, he said their assertion has been proved to be true and recognised through the study. “The government has now taken the country to such a stage with its despotic rule.”

German-based organisation Bertelsmann Stiftung in its report released on Friday said five countries –– Bangladesh, Lebanon, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Uganda –– no longer meet the minimum standards for democracy.

“These countries, where democracy has been gradually undermined for years, are under autocratic rule….,” said Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index report 2018.

The study was conducted on 129 countries. The assessment period was from February 1, 2015 to January 31, 2017.

The average quality of worldwide democracy, governance and market economy fell to its lowest level in 21 years with much of the decline happening in free societies, it said.

The report categories 58 countries as autocracies while 71 as democracies. The last survey painted a better picture with 55 autocracies and 74 democracies.


risingbd/Dhaka/March 24, 2018/Reza/AI