By Shakhawat Liton and Rashidul Hasan in The Daily Star, July 23
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the special committee on constitution amendment will be reconstituted to accommodate an opposition lawmaker if BNP wants.
She said her government wants to amend the constitution to ensure that the ballot, not bullet, determines who should be in power.
The prime minister was speaking in parliament on the concluding day of the budget session.
“We want to revive the spirit of Liberation War and enable people to reap the dividends of democracy,” she said.
Earlier on Wednesday, a special parliamentary committee was formed to review the constitution and recommend necessary amendments.
It has no representation from the opposition, as BNP had declined to name a lawmaker for the 15-member committee, which is led by Sajeda Chowdhury.
Mentioning BNP’s refusal to be part of the amendment move, Sajeda yesterday said, “The door is still open. If they nominate a lawmaker, he will be included in the committee.”
Later at an Awami League Parliamentary Party meeting at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban Sheikh Hasina said Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim would not be excluded from the constitution through amendment, as her government would not allow anyone do politics using religion as a tool.
On continuation of Jamaat and other Islamist political parties, the premier said her government has no intention to ban politics of any party.
She also said displaying the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at all government offices would be made mandatory through the amendment.
She however said the current provision for preserving and displaying portrait of the prime minister would be scrapped from the constitution. The premier said she personally does not like displaying her portrait at government offices.
“If any prime minister in future wants to display his or her portrait at government offices, s/he can do it with an executive order,” said Sheikh Hasina.
Referring to her government’s move to amend the constitution, the premier said the spirit of the original constitution of 1972 would be restored through the necessary amendments in line with the Supreme Court verdict that declared the fifth amendment to the constitution illegal.
In her speech in parliament, the premier also criticised BNP for what she said was misrule and corruption.
She urged the opposition to return to the House and speak on whatever issues they want.
“I don’t know why the opposition lawmakers are boycotting parliament,” Hasina said adding that there seems no issue over which they can stay off the Jatiya Sangsad.
It is difficult to understand the mindset of the opposition, which does not “care about parliament and court verdict”, she added.
Hasina also alleged that BNP and allies do not want continuation of democracy.
She blasted Khaleda Zia for not vacating her cantonment residence and presenting her alternative budget at a hotel instead of parliament.
Corruption during the BNP rule was so pervasive that later Khaleda and her two sons had to whiten black money by paying fines, she observed. www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=147870
2. JS special committee sets six objectives
By Shakhawat Liton in The Daily Star, July 23
The parliamentary special committee for constitutional amendment declared a six-point aim and objective yesterday.
Flanked by a number of committee members at a media briefing in the parliament’s media centre, committee chief Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury said the aims and objectives
of the review and amendment are: restoration of the people’s sovereign power; upholding and preservation of the spirit of liberation war; implementation of ruling Awami League-led grand alliance’s electoral pledges; realisation of the people’s mandate expressed in the last parliamentary election; implementation of the apex court’s verdict that declared the fifth amendment illegal; and blocking the way for illegal capturing of state power.
Formed by the parliament on Wednesday, the 15-member committee led by the House deputy leader, will have its first meeting on July 29 at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban to formulate its rules of procedure.
After the briefing, committee co-chair Suranjit Sengupta, and member Fazle Rabbi Mia told The Daily Star that the body was given a wide range of power to review the constitution and to propose amendments.
They said it might consider inserting a clause specifically blocking the way for capturing state power through martial law.
Rabbi said it is true that the constitution does not allow anybody to grab state power illegally, but there is no specific clause in it on the matter.
"Therefore, a specific clause should be inserted in the constitution to that end. I will continuously pursue inclusion of that specific clause," Rabbi said.
Suranjit, also chief of the parliamentary standing committee on law justice and parliamentary affairs ministry, said the special committee will review articles 70, and 67 of the constitution as well.
Article 70 prohibits members of the parliament from dissenting with their party lines in the House.
Ruling AL in its electoral manifesto pledged, "Except for some specific subjects related to the security of the state, parliament members will be allowed to express differing opinions."
Article 67 allows a lawmaker to remain absent form House proceedings for 90 consecutive sittings.
In a bid to discourage the culture of boycotting parliamentary sessions, the committee might consider recommending reducing the number of consecutive sittings a lawmaker would be allowed to stay absent from.
AL’s electoral manifesto also promises increasing the number of reserved seats for women in parliament to 100 from the current 45, and direct elections to those. Keeping that promise will also require amending the constitution.
"We will discuss all issues including the caretaker government system, and will recommend changes," Suranjit said.
Rabbi also said changes might be brought to the caretaker government system.
At the briefing, committee chief Sajeda said everything will be done with public consent, and by informing the media.http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=147872
3. BNP postpones hunger strike, Denied permission to use Paltan
Dhaka: Main opposition BNP yesterday postponed its July 25 hunger strike after failing to get government permission to use Paltan Maidan.
BNP will stage demonstrations at Muktangon at 3:00pm the same day to protest the government decision, said party’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
"We waited for government permission until 6:30pm in vain. We will stage demonstrations to protest it," he told The Daily Star last night.
"How could we observe a hunger strike at Paltan Maidan without the permission from the authorities concerned?" he asked.
On July 20, the BNP secretary general had announced a mass hunger strike on July 25 to press home the party’s demands including the release of its detained leaders and activists. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=147878
4. Bill proposes 5-yr jail for forcing people to participate
Dhaka: A private member’s bill was placed in parliament yesterday to enact a law for punishing political and non-political organisations or individuals for forcing people to observe any programme.
According to the proposed legislation, a person could face up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of Tk 5,000 or both, if found guilty of forcing people to observe any political or non-political programme.
Top leadership of a political party or non-political organisation will be accused of violating the law, if it forces people to observe any of its programmes, says a provision of the bill.
If found guilty, they could be sentenced to prison for up to five years or fined Tk 5,000 or both.
Jatiya Party lawmaker Mujib-ul-Haque Chunnu placed the bill. It was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on private members’ bills and resolutions for scrutiny.
The bill says all organisations can observe their programmes by ensuring people’s right to move freely.
On June 21, the Jatiya Party lawmaker in the House stressed the need for enacting a law to prevent chaos in streets in the name of hartal.
He said a political party might have the right to call hartal but people also have the right to decide whether to observe it or not.
If pickets vandalise one’s vehicle in the street on a hartal day, it would be a violation of his constitutional rights, he argued.
The bill also proposed that if anyone’s property or vehicle is damaged during a programme of any political or non-political organisation, the person will have the right to demand compensation from the organisation.Photographs, video footages and recorded conversations will be regarded as admissible evidence to try the offences, said the bill.http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=147881
5. Recognise rights of hill people, implement deal: Chakma Circle chief
Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, CHT unit, yesterday accorded a warm reception to chief of Chakma Circle Barrister Raja Debashis Roy as he was recently elected a member of the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum for Indigenous Affairs in Asia.
Held at local Shilpakala Academy auditorium, chairman of CHT Regional Council and president of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum (BAF) Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma alias Santu Larma addressed the function as chief guest.
Santu Larma said all the previous governments had no political goodwill for full implementation of CHT peace accord. The current government is also acting like its predecessors, he said.
Criticising the role of security people in CHT, Larma said the indigenous people in hills are passing their days under severe insecurity.
Blaming the government, the former guerrilla chief said not a single clause of the peace deal has been implemented in the last 19-months by the present government.
About the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission (CHTLDRC), Larma said the chairman of the commission is doing everything at his own will.
He demanded immediate postponement of such commission’s activity in CHT.
Santu also criticized the state minister for CHT affairs for ‘not playing due role’ for implementation of the peace deal.
Larma said Raja Debashis had played an important role for signing the peace deal and now he can play a stronger role in the UN arena in establishing rights of indigenous people. He greeted Debashis for his outstanding achievement.
The rights of the ethnic people will not be established until they get constitutional recognition, he added.http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=147905
