BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has said that the people of Bangladesh are eagerly waiting for a fair, impartial and participatory election, emphasising that all political actors must ultimately return to the public to establish their mandate.

He made the remarks on Monday while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Transforming the Future of Education in Bangladesh: A Strategic Roadmap” organised by the Sada Dal at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building of Dhaka University.

At the event, chaired by Sada Dal Convener Professor Morshed Hasan Khan, Salahuddin delivered an extensive speech covering the July Charter, the National Consensus Commission, the state of education, cultural aggression, intellectual corruption and long-term national transformation.

Professor ABM Obaidul Islam served as the main speaker, while Professor Shah Shamim Ahmed presented the keynote address. The seminar drew VCs, pro-VCs, treasurers, deans, provosts, teachers, students and academics from various universities across the country.

Speaking on the July Charter, Salahuddin Ahmed said “disunity has been created in the name of national consensus” and argued that even highly educated individuals would struggle to interpret the questions framed for the proposed referendum.

Emphasising the supremacy of the people, he said, “Sovereignty cannot be imposed by any order- supreme sovereignty lies with the people, and they exercise that right through their votes.”

He criticised the recent order issued by the President, claiming it had “no constitutional basis” and was designed only to create a “legal quagmire”. Such directives, he said, had no precedent in Bangladesh and would not withstand scrutiny.

On the forthcoming election, the BNP leader said, “A state must be formed through this election where there is no revival of fascist rule or dictatorship. An independent judiciary and an independent election commission must be established. But an independent judiciary is not possible while the cronies of dictatorship remain.”

He added that the people were now waiting to execute their voting power to shape a new nation.

Turning to the education sector, Salahuddin said, “Destroying the education system is more effective than the atomic bomb in destroying a country”.

He said the proliferation of GPA-5 and Golden GPA scores had led to severe damage, which could only be reversed through continuous efforts over the next 20-30 years.

He accused the previous regime of launching “planned cultural, intellectual and educational aggression”, creating a class of people who, though Bangladeshi by origin, were ideologically influenced by another country. Intellectual corruption, he said, had polluted journalism, education, research and culture.

In presidential remarks, Professor Morshed Hasan Khan said Bangladesh’s education system now stood at a critical crossroads. He alleged that the system had collapsed during the authoritarian Awami League era and expressed disappointment that the interim government, despite forming 11 reform commissions, had announced none on education.

The seminar concluded with a call for long-term, inclusive reforms aimed at rebuilding the country’s education sector and restoring public trust in national institutions.