Dhaka, Jan 9 (bdnews24.com)-- Politicians should have a stake in the ongoing reforms and changes undertaken by the caretaker government, Amnesty International secretary general Irene Khan said Tuesday.
She added that any government must honour the rule of law to establish the rule of law.
The secretary general also praised the caretaker government's initiative to present the country with a right-to-information law before it left office.
"I thank the caretaker government for taking measures to bring institutional changes. The politicians should also have a stake in the changes," Irene Khan said while addressing a discussion meeting on the future of democracy.
She said there should not be frustration over the future of democracy in Bangladesh as people of all walks wanted an election this year.
"After visiting different parts of Bangladesh, I have got the idea that there is no doubt that people want an elected government by November 2008," Khan said.
Underlining the need for ensuring fair trial of all arrested people, Irene Khan suggested that the government should proceed in such a way that people could have confidence in the changes.
"You need to act honouring the rule of law when you are working for establishing the rule of law," Irene Khan said, speaking of governments in general.
She came down heavily on the USA and the EU for violating human rights.
"The US government's war on terror has had a huge backlash, and it was done by the most powerful country in the world," she said.
"The war on terror has put the government above law and the people outside the law," the secretary general said.
Organised by Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, the meeting at the CIRDAP auditorium was addressed by Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman, economist Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud, and former Attorney General Hasan Arif.
The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam moderated the discussion meeting.
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