Roundtable on national consensus, citizen perspectives for state reform in Durgapur
Durgapur (Rajshahi) Correspondent
A roundtable meeting on "National Consensus and Citizen Perspectives for State Reform" was held in Durgapur, Rajshahi at the initiative of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujon) on Sunday morning at the mini hall room of the Upazila Parishad.
It was presided over by Prof Nurul Islam, President of Sujon’s Durgapur Upazila branch. The chief discussant was Dilip Kumar Sarkar, central coordinator of Sujon.
Moderated by Prof Nazmul Hossain, general secretary of Sujon’s Upazila branch, the meeting featured speeches by Safi Uddin Ahmad, president of Sujon’s Rajshahi district branch, Piyar Box, President of the metropolitan branch, Anwar Hossain, vice-president of the Upazila committee, Ruhul Hasan Palash, joint general secretary, Asaduzzaman, organizing secretary, Abdullah Al Mamun, treasurer, and members Mahfuza Khatun Mili, Anisur Rahman, and Mamunur Rashid, among others.
The meeting was attended by civil society leaders, educators, political analysts, human rights activists, lawyers, and representatives of the youth community.
Speakers at the meeting demanded reforms and changes in the state structure, stating that the current framework for state governance is neither people-centric nor suitable for the times. They emphasized that timely reforms in the state structure are essential for the desired progress of democracy. The speakers stressed the importance of forming a national consensus based on citizen participation, transparency, and accountability.
It was highlighted in the discussions that state reform is not possible solely through political parties or high-level administrative decisions; rather, it requires active participation from ordinary citizens, the youth, educators, and civil society.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the organizing body, Sujon, announced that a set of recommendations would be prepared based on the opinions and proposals gathered during the meeting and presented to the government and relevant policymakers.
The recommendations will include critical issues such as good governance, constitutional balance, electoral system reform, and the establishment of citizen rights. The speakers expressed optimism that such roundtable meetings would pave the way for a broader national dialogue on state reform in the future, reflecting the expectations and perspectives of the people in state governance.
The organizers and participants stated that similar discussions and exchanges of views will be held in other regions of the country in the future to ensure that opinions from all levels of society can be integrated at the national level.
Moderated by Prof Nazmul Hossain, general secretary of Sujon’s Upazila branch, the meeting featured speeches by Safi Uddin Ahmad, president of Sujon’s Rajshahi district branch, Piyar Box, President of the metropolitan branch, Anwar Hossain, vice-president of the Upazila committee, Ruhul Hasan Palash, joint general secretary, Asaduzzaman, organizing secretary, Abdullah Al Mamun, treasurer, and members Mahfuza Khatun Mili, Anisur Rahman, and Mamunur Rashid, among others.
The meeting was attended by civil society leaders, educators, political analysts, human rights activists, lawyers, and representatives of the youth community.
Speakers at the meeting demanded reforms and changes in the state structure, stating that the current framework for state governance is neither people-centric nor suitable for the times. They emphasized that timely reforms in the state structure are essential for the desired progress of democracy. The speakers stressed the importance of forming a national consensus based on citizen participation, transparency, and accountability.
It was highlighted in the discussions that state reform is not possible solely through political parties or high-level administrative decisions; rather, it requires active participation from ordinary citizens, the youth, educators, and civil society.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the organizing body, Sujon, announced that a set of recommendations would be prepared based on the opinions and proposals gathered during the meeting and presented to the government and relevant policymakers.
The recommendations will include critical issues such as good governance, constitutional balance, electoral system reform, and the establishment of citizen rights. The speakers expressed optimism that such roundtable meetings would pave the way for a broader national dialogue on state reform in the future, reflecting the expectations and perspectives of the people in state governance.
The organizers and participants stated that similar discussions and exchanges of views will be held in other regions of the country in the future to ensure that opinions from all levels of society can be integrated at the national level.
