Information and Broadcasting Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today said that a real election will be held in the country after many years where the government has no any partisan role.

She made the remarks while inaugurating a training workshop on ‘Election-Time Journalism’, organized by the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) at Sylhet Press Club here.

Chaired by Director General of PIB Faruk Wasif, Information Secretary Mahbuba Farzana joined the workshop as special guest where Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Md Sarwar Alam, Sylhet Press Club President Muktabis-un-Noor and General Secretary of the Sylhet Metropolitan Journalists Union and Bureau Chief of Daily Amar Desh Khaled Ahmed spoke. Sylhet Press Club General Secretary Mohammad Sirajul Islam moderated the programme.

The Information Adviser said the upcoming election is taking place after the fall of nearly 16 years of autocratic rule. “When an autocratic system exists, its people infiltrate all institutions and the collective mindset also shaped that way. Standing against that reality, we are organizing this election based on the strength of mass uprising. The defeated forces may create some obstacles,” she said.

The defeated forces are creating terror in various ways, however, since that malign force was resisted through a mass uprising, the government will be able to successfully confront the remaining challenges as well, she said.

In this connection, she said the government has taken necessary preparations and initiatives from the very beginning to thwart any challenges ahead of the polls.

Talking about the election-time environment, the adviser said that some degree of political tension exists in different places during elections. The government is hopeful that these challenges can be overcome and has been working from the very outset toward that goal, she added.

 Rizwana noted that ensuring a free and fair election along with broad public participation, a genuine public mandate and the selection of the right candidates is the main objective of the current government.

Rizwana Hasan further said that the government wants to ensure broad public participation alongside a fair vote. At the same time, emphasis is being given on transparency and an inclusive process in public mandate and candidate selection, she added.

Information Secretary Mahbuba Farzana said efforts would be made to ensure that people could exercise their voting rights freely and with informed understanding. 

Our expectation is that the election will be fair, festive and participatory and the government and the media together can help build public opinion to address the challenges surrounding the polls,” she said.

Officials from the Ministry of Information and PIB and members of the Sylhet Press Club executive committee were present at the event. 

The training was coordinated by PIB Senior Trainer Md. Shah Alam. Freelance journalist Ziaur Rahman attended the workshop as the resource person. On the second day of the two-day training, Daily Amar Desh Deputy Editor Sultan Mahmud will conduct the session.

 A total of 50 journalists from national and local media outlets in Sylhet have been participating in the training.