National elections must reflect the voice of all citizens: Debapriya
"We must ensure that those who have been left behind will receive a greater share of the benefits, or development will remain unfair," he said
National elections must reflect the voice of all citizens as polls are the primary means of democratic accountability, noted economist and Distinguished Fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said today.
"Elections are the primary means of democratic accountability, allowing citizens to express their voice and choose their leaders. Therefore, it is essential that national elections reflect the voice of all citizens," he said during a press conference organised by Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh at the Brac Inn Centre in Dhaka on Wednesday (11 October).
He further said, "Before voting, it is important to examine the promises made by political parties, not just to understand the type of development they are proposing, but also to determine who will benefit from it and how much. We must ensure that those who have been left behind will receive a greater share of the benefits, or development will remain unfair."
Debapriya mentioned that the past 15 years of economic growth in Bangladesh have also been marked by a growing trend of inequality, leading to an increase in consumption inequality apart from wealth and financial disparities.
"Despite the economic growth, marginalised groups continue to be left behind. These people are still struggling to access education, healthcare, and government aid, even though the government has taken various welfare measures," he said.
He mentioned, "Recent developments in Bangladesh have been significant, but they have not been equitable. True development must include justice, and empowering marginalised communities is essential to achieving this. Without ensuring the progress of these underprivileged groups, development remains incomplete.
"To achieve genuine progress and a humane society in line with the spirit of the Liberation War, we must actively work to uplift the disadvantaged and increase their representation."
He further emphasised that bringing equity back to development is the next generation's biggest challenge. "Without democratic accountability, this deficit cannot be filled."
He also noted that Bangladesh was once described as "one country, two economies," but that today it is more accurately described as "one country, two societies," with a backward society coexisting alongside a much more advanced one.
"We were not motivated to give advice based on pre-election data in 2014 and 2018 due to the situation in those elections. But this time, on the eve of the national election, we have tried to evaluate the development experience of the last decade-and-a-half. While doing this, we felt that it is necessary to understand how true, accurate, and robust the narrative of national development that we always hear from politicians is. Understanding this, we discussed with about 500 participants from backward communities in seven places outside Dhaka," he said.
In response to a query regarding the middle class, Debapriya said, "The middle class society in Bangladesh has weakened and decayed. This has not only economic but also social and cultural implications. The middle class played a major role in Bangladesh's cultural values, political values, and economic circulation. Recently, that role has become more limited."
Speaking at the event, Manusher Jonno Foundation's Executive Director Shaheen Anam said, "In every report, we try to say that one type of development does not work for everyone. The development plan should consider the differences between marginalised people, where they live, their religious background, and ethnicity."