Dr. Zeenat Huda speaks to DOT :
We need a cabinet that is made up of a diverse mixture of veterans, amateurs and women. We want a dynamic cabinet that will bolster Sheikh Hasina. They have to ensure that the trust and confidence that the people confided with the Awami League through their votes is respected and cherished. Those who showed their incompetency in the past should not be given another chance.
For an efficient parliament there is need of a competent opposition party. BNP would be committing a grievous error if it chooses to boycott the House again. Hopefully, it would not repeat the same mistake of 2014. Had it participated in the election back then, it could’ve averted its current fate. They wouldn’t be in such a structurally critical state.
If the BNP does not join, they will mirror the fate of the Muslim League.
They are already on the verge of extinction. It is worried over the lackluster amount of seats it achieved. I don’t think number of seats is a factor. There are many countries where parties with small numbers make a huge impact. Even with a small presence, BNP could criticize the government. But it is not that it would be catastrophic without BNP – the previous parliament lacked a strong opposition, but the government upheld the trend of development despite it.
Whether or not anyone from Jatiya Party becomes a part of the cabinet is a political matter. It’s fine if JP becomes the opposition party. It would be able to perform the duties as expected from an opposition party.
Dr. Zeenat Huda is a professor of Sociology at the University of Dhaka
Interview by Amirul Islam
Translated by Abrar Hussain
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