Reforms Must Move Forward Keeping the 1972 Constitution at the Forefront: Law Minister
Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman has said Bangladesh’s reform process must move forward while keeping the country’s 1972 Constitution at the forefront.
He made the remarks on Monday at a dialogue titled “Post-Election Bangladesh: Political Commitments and Reality” held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka. The event was organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), bringing together government representatives, political leaders, lawyers, journalists, human rights activists and civil society representatives.
The law minister said Article 6(a) of the July Charter states that the proposed reforms must be implemented through constitutional amendments.
“Whatever I do, I have to move forward keeping the 1972 Constitution at the forefront. This is part of the July Charter,” he said.
Asaduzzaman said those who had argued for discarding the 1972 Constitution and introducing reforms from scratch would have made the process easier. However, as long as the Constitution remains in force, amendments must be made through the constitutional process while keeping the July Charter in consideration.
He also questioned the “July Charter Implementation Order” issued during the previous interim government, saying it was inconsistent with the Constitution. He alleged that the interim government had left room for divisions through the order.
Speaking about political rights, the minister said there is no law preventing a political party from holding programmes and criticising the government unless the party has been declared a banned political entity.
“You do not do politics just to praise the government. You have the right to criticise it, and it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that right,” he said.
On the proposed constitutional reform committee, Asaduzzaman said the government had initially planned a 17-member committee comprising seven members from the BNP, five from an opposition alliance and five from other political parties. However, the opposition did not submit its nominees despite repeated meetings.
He said a 12-member committee had subsequently been formed and expressed hope that the opposition would submit its nominations so the reform process could move forward.
Regarding the “Disappearance Remedy and Prevention Act” introduced during the interim government, Asaduzzaman said laws can be amended when necessary.
He said that although the law provides for trials of enforced disappearance cases before the International Crimes Tribunal and ordinary courts, it does not clearly specify which cases should be tried by which court. The government is now working to establish accountability, he said.
During the discussion, Gono Forum President Subrata Chowdhury criticised the law minister, saying he had been a major supporter of the previous interim government and had played an influential role in its decisions.
Political Adviser to the Prime Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said the country could have avoided the current energy crisis if the previous government had focused more on domestic gas exploration instead of relying heavily on imports.
Senior journalist Sohrab Hasan criticised the government’s silence over a proposed US trade agreement and questioned the direction of its foreign policy.
Jatiya Party Secretary General Shamim Haider Patowary said many people associated with the spirit of July had gradually disappeared from public life, while the spirit itself was also fading. He said judicial reform should have been the most urgent priority among the reform initiatives.