Bangladesh’s Attorney General has suggested removing the word “secular” while talking about important amendments in the Constitution because 90% of the country’s population is Muslim. Attorney General MD Asaduzzaman made this suggestion during a court hearing on the validity of the 15th Amendment before Justices Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury.
He said that earlier, there was continuous faith and belief in Allah. I want it as it was before. Article 2A states that it will ensure equal rights and equality for all religions in the country. Article 9 talks about ‘Bengali nationalism’ and this is contradictory.
The Attorney General argued that constitutional amendments should reflect democracy and avoid promoting authoritarianism. He also objected to Articles 7A and 7B, which prohibit any amendment or change that “destroys democracy”. He claims that these undermine democracy by restricting reforms and strengthening political power.
Asaduzzaman also condemned the removal of the caretaker government system, which was previously used to oversee elections. According to him, the abolition of the caretaker system has limited the fundamental rights of Bangladeshi citizens, eroded public trust and weakened the country’s democratic foundations.
Calling for the repeal of the 15th Amendment, Asaduzzaman argued that it disrupts Bangladesh’s independence legacy and contradicts the “spirit of the Liberation War” as well as the democratic uprising of the 1990s. He said several amendments, including labelling Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the “Father of the Nation”, create divisions in the country and restrict freedom of speech. Sheikh Mujibur’s contribution must be respected, but implementing it by law creates divisions.
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