| Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) lawmaker, Hasnat Abdullah, has accused the government of recreating an Atmosphere of fear and terror across country, demanding freedom to express dissent, not just agreement.
He also warned that the nation is returning to a vicious cycle of suppressing opposition voices through legal cases.
Speaking in the National Parliament on Sunday, he sharply criticized the administration for suppressing dissenting voices, reviving toxic campus politics, and failing to deliver on the structural reforms promised by the recent revolution.
Participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks for the President`s address, chaired by Major (retd) Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram, Hasnat expressed deep disappointment at the country`s political trajectory.
He noted that despite the immense sacrifices and bloodshed that led to the formation of the current parliament, the nation is rapidly slipping back into a vicious cycle of political suppression and retaliatory lawsuits.
Highlighting a renewed crackdown on free speech, the MP alleged that individuals are being picked up from their homes simply for criticizing ministers or posting on Facebook.
He stated that at least nine such incidents have occurred since the new parliament convened.
He drew a sharp contrast with the ousted regime, noting that while the Awami League allowed the freedom to agree, true democracy requires the freedom to disagree.
He demanded the absolute right to criticize the Prime Minister and express political dissent on social media without the fear of state retribution or the need to hide behind anonymous accounts.
Hasnat also raised alarms about the deliberate destabilization of university campuses. He accused political elites of attempting to revive the notorious "guestroom" and mass-room culture, a systemic practice of forcing ordinary students into partisan politics.
He criticized politicians for securing safe futures for their own children abroad while exploiting the children of the middle class and expatriate workers as political pawns to consolidate their own power. Universities, he argued, must be transformed into centers of research and intellectual growth rather than factories for producing political foot soldiers.
The lawmaker further criticized the administration for stalling crucial institutional changes, pointing to the weakening of the Human Rights Commission and the sudden cancellation of the Police Reform Commission ordinance.
He also called out the hypocrisy of the political elite regarding women`s rights, noting that society often ignores the daily struggles and abuses faced by female garment workers, while instantly condemning any criticism of elite political women as misogyny.
Urging lawmakers to step out of their privileged bubbles, Hasnat reminded the house that the daily struggles of ordinary citizens cannot be understood from air-conditioned rooms and cars in a capital city with uninterrupted electricity.
He concluded with a stark warning to the ruling coalition, stating that a return to divisive politics will not benefit the people, but will only empower the autocratic forces the nation successfully defeated during the July uprising.
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