in 1958 charles to go made a famous speech in algeria. but take a don't hold back. the tide about jerry and independence keep francis economies in africa and the pacific. in the final episode of the series, just there explores how the bits of fights for the french empire still resonates today. imagine tis french the colonize ation on out. is there any opposition in bangladesh and seems to prime minister tens of thousands of protesters say that shake has seen us just sit down and call in early election. so what's next for a nation meyer and in decades of bitter political life. this is inside store the

hello and a very warm welcome to the program is great to have you with us. i'm several of any she has known as the daughter of democracy to her supporters and authoritarian to her critics. bangladesh as prime minister shakes a scene that has been in and out of power for decades, but tens of thousands of opposition supporters have joined protests in the capital deca demanding her resignation. they want a neutral caretaker government to organize the upcoming election. they accuse her governing, allow me leave part to you, of intimidation and vote rigging and previous selections. as seen as long time arrival is former prime minister collate is. yeah. she says the government cannot be trusted to oversee a free and fair vote next year. so what does this mean for democracy in bangladesh, and what does the future hold for these 2 leaders of dominated politics for more than 30 years? we'll get to our guest in a moment, 1st bill, this report from victoria getting b, the 10s of thousands of all position to pool,

which is pretest in the capital tackle, cooling for prime minister shade casino to resign. upsize a over the phone. how do we want to full of this illegitimate government that was elected by a rig, but we want to see the people of bangladesh live in peace costs. they vote safely costs the votes themselves shaken, c, that is the do to of bangladesh is 1st president. some accuse her of being and all for terry and, but on the highly to ship, the country has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. she's alternated pile with a main rival, highly to zia, for more than 3 decades. a z a heads, the bangladesh nationalist party, the largest in the opposition coalition. in 2018. she was convicted of corruption charges, which she says were politically motivated. she was bought from running in the election later that year. that pole was mowed by violence. she casino was declared

the winner, but the opposition rejected. the results accusing the government to intimidation and vote. rigging, the opposition bmt says the government can't be trusted to run free and fair elections next year. either it's cooling for an entry and government to be in schools. otherwise it says it will be called the election. the governing a woman need has rejected such clues. we want to send out a message that there is no alternative to a democratic process other than the rule of law. so in the name it's processed in the name of any kind of access. now should be established. security has been stepped off in the capital to protest and likely to intensify as the election drew closer. victoria gay to be for inside story. the time to bring in new or a guess,

they're all joining us from bangladesh. so in doc, i looked at their rashid, you are an investigative journalist, right. so the english language, newspaper, new age, and crushed. yeah. assume. oh tough. george and n p for the governing a want me leave, party and back in dock. a roommate for honda, for a member of parliament and party with for the opposition, bangladesh, nationalist party, or b, and p. a warm welcome to you all. let me address this 1st question to so e mail, tough george member of parliament for the i want me lead the ruling party. the opposition silliness. demanding that the a want me lee put in place a neutral caretaker government to conduct the upcoming elections. make sure they're free and fair. will the prime minister shaken sienna, do that? thank you, but it's supposed to one very good exhibit or uh like we're saying that next the addiction is going to be free and fit and is going to be under the

constitutional existing customer to us, closer to shows that there is no, i'm good us to do show the system is not going to be paid in this country anymore. all the next, the lectures are going to happen in the existing constitutional system. our obligation, friends, they're asking a government all. i can to get a government all in the name of neutral government, which is all completely close to do, shut the good by the highest pulled up this country. so oh, we all are bound by that. so in that case, i mean if i'll let you go 1st, supposition, freight is day one day like 3 and for the election or more of this of for the election, they're going to give us additions the how on the election commission of the she mentioned commission how we can hold a more free upgrade election, they can give us a vicious how can be, how can we do like, yeah, i mean,

the election time government, how that's going to be, i always get the phone. so they're not good in that way. they read and they're like a doing everything for being a i'm going to city show system to fall apart. the assignment is the 2nd. so, you know, we've already gone from everybody the next election. what i'll do about is next election is going to be upset election. but do you suppose we can parties on this issue whether they have ways but to see the election of not. so it's not only the end of the building, but the ice storm is not in the hands of only it's in the hands of being the 2. so they should when to go to ship it in the election. but sometimes you take that okay, almost always been being like sorry, well let's ask them if they are going to participate in the next election since you bring at that point, let me turn to remain for a honda will be in the boy caught the next election or run in the next election.

thank you so much on the very good evening to everyone. i want to make it very clear at the beginning, but bangladesh is no longer a democratic country. and it has been, it has become a come $51.00, participate wounded by one person and it is hallway ish. what to do, and not to do how to do the country and how to conduct the election, etc, etc. if you look a 2014 election, you will see the government was formed without getting a thing. go vote because 153 said when it rand unconscious that if you see 2018 that's election is mostly known as midnight election, people couldn't vote at that time. the prime minister starts with the opposition data and members, and she problem is she gave as sure. and so she said to

a few faith on her and she promised that she was going to hold a very fair election. and what we see in 2018, the whole election was marred by a rigging and violence and what not more than 50 candidates. so being fee was physically a full tab. our activist and member, they were not allowed to participate in the campaign falls, cases have been filed against them. their houses and cars were vandalized and what not. there was no level playing fields before the election. so how can we trust on what the government parties say that this time the election will be free and fair to day? i saw small reports, the remainder, a lot of accusations there, and so the rest assured you will get a chance to um, you'll get a chance to respond to those of course, but remain, there is a question here. will that be in p running the election or boycott the election?

you haven't told us very clearly. we are ready to run the election provided the golf fence deb dial hand over the power to a neutral care. take our investment because the history shows the only 4 elections were accepted by every single policy of this country. and those all 4 were conducted under a free, under a cafe gardunyo can pick our top tens. um, it's unfortunate, but the reality is under any pauses on golf bed, we couldn't have a fair election neither national extra nor any local government election. it was unfortunate, but this is the reality. okay, let me turn to look to dear. we need some explanation here. i think most of our audience will not be familiar with the system of this caretaker government. can you explain to us how that has worked in the past to thank you for having the head of

the captive system 1st to introduce the not informed of law, but it was into that did in 1990 island and to 90. and then it was, uh, you know, the military government, uh ruled by the shrouds, racine, and then we had to kind of, uh, uh, categor arrangement, to run the fi fair election. and following that, and we were hold on. what does that arrangement, what do you mean? there was an arrangement to run and free and fair election. what does that mean is that the election was held under that you just these who helped hold the election of the time so that it was meant was transformed legally. and that was the inducted into the constitution and nothing had to see. and following that, we had another election and mentioned that a deposit and one and we found another election the deputies in 2000 a to uh, in december. so of after the 2008 election. um,

unfortunately there is no probation, not it is. uh, we just basically held under the uh, patrick or arrangement of pick our entire environment. we can say uh to understand, uh, global audience. uh that a comment will be selected from the impartiality for neutral. so opposite the color of the person who are from you know, who are leading from the different sector like that. okay. to sherry from so. so those people already have looked at the i know that i'm like, am i correct? am i correct to describe the system? am i right to describe the system this way? under the caretaker government system? 3 months before the election, the parliament and the government would step aside and a what was perceived to be a neutral government would step in for the purpose of overseeing a free and fair election. and this has happened at least 3 times in the country's

history. 199620012008. as you just told us, am i right on all of that? yeah, exactly, exactly. but in 2008, there was an exception that uh they did 2 f this 2 years because uh, as a spot in point of time the military intervene company and they were on for a most uh, one of one most 2 years. so they handed over to power. uh that can take a government handed over to power to uh, basically she can see, you know, after she was as a human power to the election in to 1000. uh, she bought after that we didn't find this kind of in the heritage meant i would say the category or whatever you said into him. but uh, when there is an oh uh uh, when we see the 2014 election, there was that was mark by violence and 2018 election while in your domain. uh say about that, what happened? uh, i didn't want to explain it to your uh animal, but those are no collection excepted by the majority of the people that and

bangladesh. so. okay, so that's not really interesting because you're telling us that those 3 elections, you mentioned 962-001-2008 were widely perceived as free and fair. okay, pause there for a 2nd. i returned to use to leave and i'm sure you're going to have a ton of things to say after what, what remained for honda was telling us earlier. but here's, here's my next question. if there was a system in the countries recent past, that allowed elections to be perceived as free and fair by everybody. why not go back to that system? and we had put together arrangement with both all the put together the buttons that was not under the constitutional system. the outside that goes to do shows that we had a standing with all the parties that we're going to hold. the next 3 elections of that is in governmental, catherine government. what if i may be in the navy,

but have to use how we corrupted the system? how we develop the system? that's the question. i didn't want to go back for that because if we go back to that the dots and come up in the bottom of the food, you can adopt a pollution from being the dam, make the purchases done before this got c, the governor's office system. why? and why people talk that this jessica system is not going to work from scratch anymore. why? because what, what people. but why we talk about the system is no longer it's going to be effective for us. goes that previous been b and b has corrected the system so that the b and p hasn't been in the power and 14 years, a correct, correct in the system by sig bmt has come up to the system of getting a government. and then they started to go, i meant went to the codes and the go say the edwards means the body has been made.

well, i'm post additional. so the high sort of discovery may say that in the body these, the system is something to do tional. and then it's bound up with all the people of this country and it is bound like in, in every country is that because people so we are going to hold the next lecture under the constitutional system. and i want to make sure they have to go to the in by with dish. no, i'm the know i'm going to do show system the election is going to be happen again. so. so we're saying to everybody outputs, girlfriend, so i'm going to should bodies that oh, on the basic display system, how we can hold it free for you and pretty well lecture to everybody. so we're asking, so this is from the you going to be really good one point. we just don't pick them constitutional. so you're saying we're asking from them that you are giving us a vicious, thoughtful solutions. they're how, okay,

how the next election is going to hold and how that the government is going to look for how we can assume that the election commission still them to say nothing about it. they have time to make a complaint about the po, to go. i'm race dividers, what they have done before. so they're trying to do that again. so also bad that what they, what they want to do in the countries the okay. because they're trying to different does the life of the people they're trying to do for the country, they're trying to defy the interests of the people of this country. so we are standing just below that you're saying, no, it's not going to happen. any country. okay. the remaining for one of the, the civil probably to say can see that we have time to go forward with that. we're not going to go back again in the, in the dr. flanagan to remain the b and p is asking for a neutral caretaker government. okay. we've, we've been over that um, but assuming it was just reminding us that has been ruled,

unconstitutional. and i do appreciate that that supreme court ruling was extremely controversial at the time. still there is that supreme court ruling doesn't that rob the b and p of of a major option of exactly what you're asking for the caretaker government isn't gonna come back because it's unconstitutional. the, unfortunately, what my friend was telling is not the whole truth. the court in its short verdict may just absolutely peer the next 2 elections can be done on there for you fair and kept taking them good. i mean neutral and gets it got about. but then in the long body, the details about it, it made it absolutely clear the next election should be held on the can't take her go mad because it's the necessity of, of, i mean, it is under the doctrine of this is that the people, when people of bangladesh and wants to get pick our government for the fair a neutral election. and but one thing the added in the details for that. and they

said that if parliament which should be fall on the forms of committee called constitution amendment committee in that. but that committee was headed by 2 very senior leaders, the alarm and the one was dodge about. charles ran the other was sure and you can go. so in that community. and it himself itself went and said that jessica government should not be out believe it should be there in the constitution at list because of the politic go situation of bangladesh. because of this process. then because the, you know, of the relationship between the parties, if it's not the time to abolish cats because of that, but one fine morning apple is that somebody calls in for what reason? we don't know, they know it's the best that can be constitutional is not the holy koran or a bible. you can change it any time for the sake of people and the chaise twice on this topic. specifically,

this is already been changed for more than 16 times. and one thing i want to make absolutely clear that it wasn't there in the cost of tuition before 1996. and it was a while i'm a lead force, b and b come bows b and be a man that goes to to you should incorporate. yeah. take out a document that you need for that because our style for 17 to 6 days, based off the move med, huge growth tab. and uh, you know, and the was, this is a really interesting argument. i'd like to put this to sleep. i'm actually, you know, roommates, my roommate is reminding us accurately, that in the ninety's, wendy, a while me lee was in the opposition. they were the ones asking for a neutral caretaker government. this is what i said. i don't want to go back to read. it will take long time. i won't have time to explain what somebody say. that's what i'd say. the system will stop the clue when by them why all mean they

have to hi slip. i can't think of it why it was settled by and if once again, i didn't mean i did not want to why albany have to put this going. give us that. okay. all right, so so, so i think the only thing i could bring back the kids with why? because it wasn't, it wasn't, it was a supplement before uh, in the united as well. so while when they get to a fight for that, they get the windows set up. so like i say, the airlines and when the was done at the, at that time there was nobody to the quote. so when the court said that i remember what i'm going to do to show you the good shot. why don't think of them in the state again that they love, it goes above it. it was the body to it was the vision by the book that may be next to election can be done by the captain of the but in the origin of the the say no, a plus the decision by the problem is what the problem is going to take that

position, bobby took the decision this because if you should have one more thing is why the adjustment why being be didn't take any legal steps. they didn't do that. what to the conversation that believe that the deadline, the supposed it that now when the, when, when everything is going, i gave us the best thing. oh, now this would be able to bring back the system. we don't want any cause could you should be changed. what the, some that, that they're talking is for like 40 years. all right? so they don't know much as well taking so i didn't know that the, the people of this country they did accept that those are going to, so it will be the remaining sense. all right, so in your point is well taken and i think by now our viewers have understood that there, that at the heart of this battle, there is a political rivalry over this mechanism that has been in place and is no longer in place for organizing elections. that are why least receive this free and fair. we

get that. so let's just leave that to the side for a 2nd. then let me go back them up to deer and ask you the big broad question. earlier in the show room mean means opening statement was you need to understand bangladesh is no longer a democracy. so that's the question i want to put to you as a journalist who looked at these things in a dispassionate way. you're not a politician. if you're not running for office. there have been many accusations of democratic backsliding under the rule of shakes has seen a in your view, is bangladesh still a fully functioning democracy? um, honestly, i have to say no. and uh, the reason why he is um, you know, the situation. uh what i see from my eyes. uh, that's uh, i can explain. i don't want to say a bit more because there is a law which is which we call the do, does security act. and with that, if i say something which is the government or the security agents this think then

not suitable for them, they can prosecute to me. and i will be here for many years and you are very mature on that. but what i can say, i can say the brochure left in impartiality. so what i see in the, the today when i was covering the violence, i'm in the protest of the opposition party here and talk on so i, so the, the opposition party leaders, what drives to the car. and they were taken from the spot. whereas the ruling party man where no pattern being on the street with this dfacs and dash genting shouting along with the police. and they were driving and dragging out position activities and having to go over to the police. so see that scenario as a, as in the normal perspective of the post because of the journalists order, the prospect of the simple bond with the she, the citizen. so these are the pink. who can it can see uh 0,

one of the box of view and the other hand that we can, what we believe in the media, you can say the media is booming. uh, bits of most of the media. uh, you know, on the leadership of the apartment so she can see, you know, the same time how much we can. uh, right, it's self. censorship is really, really one of the biggest issue. every time the journalist is facing in bangladesh . if you see the last 10 years or 20 left the to 15 years, you'll see the piece of software info's. is that parents the case itself i, it's a just, you know, getting and when everything ended up with the sanction of imposed by the treasury department of the united states and the number of a and it says it shows it in for the does that forensic blog methods significantly, so that was a, you know, kind of a political,

a no commitment of from the leadership. we're happy now. but, but on the other hand, if you see when we see the us, the diplomats have visited the bottom of the issue a, this a month. the, in fact, the other, the visited and doing a loo visited. so we had a told the situation would be a bit more uh, different uh and the point you go, a visit would become uh, would be coming in in the next uh in the election. but unfortunately we see the more violent thing. all right, balance is the happy, the, the city and the i across the country and the opposition leaders are being arrested as a, uh, they said it's a very selective. the number is low, but they are editing. those people who are, you know, can mobilize the be protest, all right, looked at their thanks for that. and just to provide some of the facts behind what

you were just telling us. it's true that the us has shown increasing signs of concern about bank with that she democracy. a few things to highlight here in 2021, washington sanctioned bangladesh is elite paramilitary force over alleged extra traditional killings. that's one thing to put in our viewers, radars. also just 2 months ago, the us announced that it would refuse visas to anyone implicated in quote, undermining the democratic election process. and something else is nowhere noteworthy from the us side of things is that they have not invited the button administration has not invited bangladesh with the last 2 democracy for him. okay, with all of that said, and we're, we're competing with the time here. silly. do you accept yes or no that there has been some democratic back sliding under the governance of your prime minister? well they said look to, they said it just is the issue is what is meant by about position

english and this is false or to the basis of any issues. so the people are talking about it and saying that the issues have been making is not completely rocked, is, is false. so this fall, so the issues of why the spring and the come in the blood is why the spirit of the war and the home. why that one is not invest, it's proper because they see what he was saying in the regime of only force due to be over as extra judy show. pretty easy. so now what is the democratic? they're trying to say, if you go back, the scenario is low back. we'll take a little while she's there. all right, let's see how many,

all the leaders of the q, how many popular that's the leaders happy to in broad daylight, it public committee. by the way, spring glitch spies. but swing brents. how many of jims has been happen in that time? don't want to sing about that. i just say like before the little bit before i want to go back, i would look for what, what would be we can be for this country. so i'm suggesting, in my mind, most rico, some of the pressure off with your judgment. everybody should come to get it for the sake of democracy for the sake of our country, for the sake of a people. so don't make any minds. don't bring this, i have to jump it back in the drop again. okay, sorry, sorry. so we have to do this to you, but i have to jump in uh, we're over on time, but i want to thank all of you whole heartedly. we want to hear all those voices and we did for joining the discussion here on alice's here are get smoked, a deal receipts sylium of top george and will mean for honda. thank you again and thank you to for watching. you can see the program again. any time by visiting our

website, alpha 0 dot com. and for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ag inside storage. you can also joined the conversation on twitter or handle at a j inside story. from me several venue in the entire team here in doha bye. for now, the miss the basically entities just the un fits the purpose was like many critics sites just pump salise and doesn't get anywhere near enough done to the amount of money that is poured into its hard hitting in to be the see think look to their lives on

washing, it's enough for money to go on its own and to build it's on thoughts providing on for centuries, people have been taken care of are. so i have every confidence that future generations will do it as well. you the story on tools to how does era the hello there. i'm the spelling of your day and our ha, with an update for you here on knowledge is aaron coordinators. and me just say there's an imminent threats of military intervention by the west african book echo us. they also have support as to rally in the capital, naomi, as echo wesley, it is gathered in neighboring nigeria for an emergency. sometimes the block has come down into the crew and cold for the immediate reinstatement at present the home and president he was detained on wednesday and france has come to.