Mahfuj Alam, the student representative in the Constitution Reform Commission, on Sunday said that he is confident the interim government will implement constitutional reform proposals as it represents the people and has less need of electoral mandates.
Mahfuj made the statement during a press briefing, the first time he and his colleagues spoke to reporters since the forming of the commission by the interim government in early October
Head of the Constitution Reform Commission, Prof Ali Riaz, said individuals, organisations, institutions or parties who were actively involved in the killings during the July-August student uprising will not be included in the constitutional reform process.
Through a written address at a briefing of the Constitution Reform Commission held at the LD Hall of Parliament, Prof Riaz said that the commission will seek insights from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including legal experts, civil society leaders, youth activists, and cultural representatives.
“We will also hold discussions with representatives from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizen Committee,” he said.
"Under the current constitution, the prime minister holds immense power, and this centralisation of authority paves the way for fascism," Riaz said, vowing to remove clauses that support this sort of “fascism.”
"The lack of balance in power is the source of fascism," he added.
He further clarified the commission’s commitment to neutrality, explaining, “The Reform Commission will not engage directly with political parties but will request written opinions and specific proposals.”
At the briefing, Mahfuj, also the chief adviser’s special assistant, said that constitutional questions emerged with the call for a new political settlement in Bangladesh.
“When the one-point demand was announced, it was stated that the old political settlement would be rejected in favour of a new one. This, essentially, means a new constitution,” said Mahfuj.
“Hearing this, the people of Bangladesh were inspired to mobilise.”
As a member of the commission, Mahfuj emphasised that the commission’s recommendations are intended for implementation by the current interim government. Responding to questions about who would carry out the commission’s recommendations, he clarified, “It’s a political decision. But if I may speak as a student representative, I am confident this government will implement it. Why wouldn’t it?”
He acknowledged the unique nature of the interim government, noting, “This government may be unelected, but it represents the people under exceptional circumstances. In this scenario, terms like ‘parliament,’ ‘election,’ and ‘elected’ carry less weight.”
He outlined that after the commission submits its proposals, political parties will be invited to discuss and contribute to the implementation process. “There will be participation from political parties,” he said, assuring that the process would involve collaboration.
The commission is charged with reviewing, amending, and potentially rewriting the current constitution to better reflect public aspirations.
“The commission will consider equality, human dignity, social justice, and the founding goals of the Liberation War, aiming to establish a non-discriminatory democratic state,” Prof Riaz said, outlining the primary objectives for undertaking reform tasks. These include establishing a participatory democracy, ensuring meaningful political involvement, preventing the emergence of authoritarian regimes, balancing the powers of government branches, decentralising authority, and safeguarding the independence of key institutions.
To encourage public involvement, he announced that a dedicated website will go live Tuesday, allowing citizens to submit their suggestions.
bd-pratidin/GR
