Staff Correspondent

A peaceful transfer of power to a ninth parliament is most necessary as a military-backed administration will not benefit the country in the long-run, said former chief adviser Habibur Rahman Sunday Addressing a citizens' dialogue at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, Rahman, also former chief justice, said: "It is a well-founded and almost universal truth that the military supervising the government and politics of a country cannot be beneficial for the nation or the military itself."

"The Bangalees are not bestowed with any special attributes that they should prove otherwise," he said. Eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain presided over the daylong dialogue organised by Bangladesh First-Bangladesh 2025, an initiative undertaken by a group of citizens for exchanging views with people to prepare a national roadmap to progress. The constitution needs amendment, and the government could form a commission to that end, Rahman suggested.

At the same time, Rahman said he hoped that power will be transferred peacefully to a ninth parliament of public representatives, through a free and fair election. "The people want and expect that the ninth parliament will be in place following an acceptably fair election by year-end, but they have qualms over the realisation of that dream," the former chief justice said.

Also addressing the dialogue was former adviser to the caretaker government Sultana Kamal, who said: "We don't want to revisit pre-1/11 days. But this apparently unending spell of emergency must end." Dr Kamal Hossain stressed: "A structure of understanding for holding a free and fair election has to be put in place in consultation with political parties."

"This is the greatest challenge for 2008," he said. On the subject of constitutional amendment, Justice Rahman said: "A separate commission may be formed to effect necessary changes and incorporate amendments to the constitution."

"The Law Commission might prove useful in this regard, but very little of its potential has been realised so far, as senior figures in government consider themselves omnipotent and don't want to consult people," he added.

Expressing concern over the spiralling prices of essentials, he said: "To check price hikes, investments have to be increased in the agriculture sector." "We've neglected this sector through attaching more priority to industry."

Calling upon the government to ensure seed, manure and power supplies to farmers, Rahman said: "We have to institute necessary reforms to agriculture and water resources, and establish better management modes, so that the present 'famine condition' doesn't become our permanent national attribute."

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