The youth-envisioned “new Bangladesh” must prioritise democratic and accountable governance, free from discrimination, corruption, and injustice, emphasised Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
In a press release marking International Youth Day 2024, TIB advocated for a comprehensive overhaul of the state structure and a new political framework centered on public interest. It expressed confidence in the youth’s role in advancing the nation’s efforts to uphold voting rights, justice, human rights, freedom of expression, and media freedom.
TIB urged the interim government to establish a conducive environment to achieve this vision.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman, TIB’s executive director, highlighted the youth’s role in toppling a dictatorial regime at great cost, demonstrating their resilience against oppression. He stressed that tyranny, arising from a lack of responsibility and transparency, must be condemned, and that all stakeholders, including political parties, must recognise the power of the youth and create an environment where their rights and demands are respected.
As a new era begins, TIB believes that the youth will lead the country towards a future characterised by fundamental freedoms, democratic governance, and a society free from discrimination and communalism.
Their recommendations for International Youth Day 2024 include: fostering a new Bangladesh based on youth aspirations, ensuring equality, meritocracy, and good governance; creating a democratic state structure that upholds human rights and public welfare; and restructuring institutions to prevent politicisation and ensure they do not serve partisan agendas.
Additional recommendations include enforcing accountability for severe human rights violations through national and international investigations involving the UN; establishing robust legal frameworks to protect fundamental rights like the right to protest, freedom of assembly, media freedom, and speech; and eliminating illicit wealth accumulation through corruption.
TIB also called for effective strategies to prevent authoritarian control over the internet and social media, and for the restructuring of rule-of-law institutions to prevent future human rights violations.
