Politicians need to change mindset for sustainable democracy: Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said that state reforms, constitutional amendments and new laws alone cannot ensure sustainable democracy unless political leaders undergo a fundamental transformation in their mindset.

“You can amend the Constitution based on the July Charter, enact new laws and overhaul state institutions�"but if the psychology and mindset of political leaders do not change, everything can eventually revert to authoritarianism,” Rizvi said.

He made the remarks while addressing a discussion titled “Role of University Teachers in the Fall of the Fascist Government” as the chief guest at the Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University on Saturday morning.

Elaborating on what he described as political hypocrisy, Rizvi recalled that Sheikh Hasina had once led strong movements demanding the restoration of the caretaker government system, but later scrapped the system from the Constitution through a unilateral decision, overriding even recommendations made by members of her own parliamentary committee.