The reforms have to be practised in an open political environment ensuring spontaneous participation of leaders and activists, speakers said at a discussion yesterday.

"Reforms should come from within the political parties and should not be imposed from outside. Flowers may bloom in laboratories and might last for some time, but [those] may not survive in an open environment," said Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a previous caretaker government.

He was giving his speech as a panellist at the discussion titled 'Policy Debates on Reforms' organised by Centre for Governance Studies at a city hotel. Leaders from both left and right leaning parties as well as political science experts took part in the debate over reforms -- a buzzword that gripped the nation after the army-backed interim government had assumed power.

Most of the speakers said that the ones now so outspoken on reforms had never done so in the past and it is questionable whether they are doing it now out of fear or pressure.

A few of the speakers appreciated the armed forces' initiatives geared toward cleansing of democracy in the country. The speakers however insisted on clear demarcation of role of the armed forces and their relation with civil administration.

Dr Akbar Ali Khan during his speech focused specifically on a few issues regarding reforms including financial transparency in political parties.

"All political parties can be accountable to the people of the country if they make their 'audited balance sheet' public," he said.

On the role of Election Commission, Akbar said, "The responsibility of the EC should be to make the political parties be registered [with EC], but not to control the parties. Involvement in too many activities might jeopardise the EC's primary task of holding the election."

Hafizuddin Khan, another former adviser, stressed practising 'checks and balance' all throughout the government and assuring the participation of political parties in parliament for a more effective democracy. "We failed to achieve democracy. Rather, we got elective dictatorship," he lamented.

Mujahidul Islam Selim, leader of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), in reply to a query over the reason of CPB and Jamaat-e-Islami being kept out of the purview of the reform, said that CPB has also been going through reforms.

Rashed Khan Menon, president of Workers Party of Bangladesh, observed that the reforms would ultimately establish 'controlled' democracy and split the major political parties. He emphatically said the people of Bangladesh would not welcome any controlled situation.

"Who gave Mainul Hosein the duty to establish 'honest' politics?" Menon questioned.

Meanwhile, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president Hasanul Haque Inu said prior to any reform, a national consensus should be reached on the issues of black money, muscle power and war crimes.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, organising secretary of Bangladesh Awami League (AL), said immediate release of party chief Sheikh Hasina is a must for any true reform to take place in the party.

"We had been talking about reforms for quite some time before the interim government put a ban on indoor politics. If the parties adopt imposed reforms, they might end up with no [fruitful] outcome. Keeping the president [of AL] in jail, how would you ensure reforms? To whom will we submit our demands?" Manna said.

Dr Ataur Rahman, chairman of Centre for Governance Studies, however observed that after some sort of controlling, democracy might prevail. "It is not unusual.... in the past, things were done the other way around in major political parties -- powers were concentrated in dynastic leaderships... this needs to be corrected."

Azizur Rahman, executive director of CGS, former ministers Dr Mizanur Rahman Shelly, Chowdhury Kamal Ibn Yusuf, Sheikh Shahidul Islam, ASM Abdur Rab, Syeda Razia Foyez, Abul Hasan Chowdhury, Kazi Firoz Rashid, former members of parliament GM Quader, Zahiruddin Swapan, former state minister Ebadur Rahman Chowdhury and Maj (retd) Akhtaruzzaman also took part in the discussion.