One-sided polls led to July uprising - Says info minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon yesterday said a decade of one-sided, non-participatory elections paved the way for the July 2024 uprising.

Speaking as chief guest at the unveiling of “Phire Dekha Shei Shomoy” by Debate for Democracy Chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron at CIRDAP in Dhaka, he alleged that the 10th, 11th and 12th parliamentary polls were “detached from the people”.

 “The 151 uncontested seats and the culture of midnight voting severely damaged the country’s democracy,” he said.

Citing personal experience, Swapon claimed he was kept under house arrest for nearly 40 days during a “midnight election”, while his supporters were detained.

On restoring the caretaker government system, he said the matter remains under judicial review. “Until the final court verdict and parliamentary discussions on constitutional reform are settled, the definitive position remains unclear.”

The author said the book documents alleged abuses under the previous Awami League government, including enforced disappearances and killings.

Swapon termed it a “social antivirus” against power-driven corruption.