Our Declaration

We - women and men of Bangladesh - are committed to the freedom, equality, well-being and full development of the potentialities of all our people. To achieve this, we will work to achieve:

• true, participatory democracy that ensures that every citizen of Bangladesh has a voice in the decisions that affect her or his life;
• decentralization and devolution so that decision-making and resources are as close to the people as possible;
• transparency of all decisions and budget allocations at every level of government through passage and implementation of Freedom of Information laws in Bangladesh;
• accountability of all politicians and government officers to the people, through regular, timely and accurate reporting;
• honesty of all public servants, including the speedy removal and disciplining of anyone guilty of graft, corruption or other betrayal of the public trust;
• honesty and transparency in the activities of non-government organizations;
• civility through halting all forms of violence, extortion, thuggery, hartal, coercion and other undemocratic practices in our political process'
• election of honest, competent leaders committed to the welfare of the people;
• social justice for all citizens, especially the poor.

Many of our distinguished persons has signed this declaration. You are invited to join us in this vital activity for the future of our people.

Please sign this declaration to join

Our Background and Structure

SHUJAN began as "Citizens for Fair Elections" (CFE) in November 2002, prior to the last Union Parishad elections. It was launched to emphasize the importance of the UP elections and the necessity of electing honest and committed leadership. To facilitate the election of such leaders, an information empowerment campaign of voters was initiated introducing collecting information from candidates about their background, money, criminal records, assets and liabilities and disseminating the information among the electorates so that they could make informed decisions in casting their votes. Volunteers organized public events where people could meet all the candidates, and hear their responses to key questions about their qualifications and future plans.

Elections, however, are only the starting point to good governance. Following the elections, CFE changed its name and mandate to pursue fairness, transparency and accountability in all spheres of our national life.

Professor Mozaffar Ahmed, one of our eminent economists and educationists, is the convener of SHUJAN. Others who signed the declaration include-

Activites:

• Advocacy For Strengthening Local Government
• Round Table Discussions
• Awareness Building