Interim government advisor for Local Government and Youth & Sports, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, has stated that in the present situation of Bangladesh, it is nearly impossible to contest in elections without having 100 to 200 million taka. As a result, he said, they are carefully considering whether they will participate in the upcoming elections.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion titled “From November to July: From Revolution to Revolution” held at the National Press Club on Friday, Asif Mahmud said that in the current electoral system, those with black money have more opportunities to participate in elections. If someone contests elections with financial support from others, they are later bound to serve the interests of those financiers, making it difficult to uphold political values and principles.
He further stated that if he contests the election as a candidate from any political party, he will resign from the Advisory Council beforehand.
The discussion was moderated by Rifat Rashid, President of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and attended by others including Mujibur Rahman Manju, Chairman of AB Party, Professor Abdul Latif Masum of Jahangirnagar University, and retired Colonel Hasinur Rahman.