The Daily Populous Saturday November 16th, 2024 evening edition
Authored by thetatva.in and submitted by BlitzOrion

Bangladesh’s Attorney General, Md. Asaduzzaman, suggested making big changes to the country’s Constitution, including taking out the word "secular." He argued that since 90% of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim, the Constitution should match this majority.

This statement was made during a court session about whether the 15th Amendment is legal, in front of Justices Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury. Asaduzzaman stressed that changes to the Constitution should strengthen democracy, not lead to authoritarian rule. He added, “Earlier, there was constant trust and faith in Allah. I want it the way it was before.” He noted that Article 2A says the state must ensure equal rights for all religions, but Article 9, which mentions "Bengali nationalism," contradicts this.

Amendment to the title 'Father of the Nation'

Asaduzzaman also mentioned other constitutional changes, focusing on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman being named the "Father of the Nation." Although he agreed that Sheikh Mujib’s contributions should be respected, he worried that making this title a legal requirement could restrict freedom of speech and lead to divisions within the country. He stated, "Honouring the contributions of Sheikh Mujib is vital," but pointed out that "enforcing it by law creates division." Asaduzzaman believes that reforms are necessary to encourage democracy, honour the Liberation War, and strengthen national unity.

Criticism of articles 7A and 7B

The Attorney General also spoke against Articles 7A and 7B, which block any changes to the Constitution that might undermine democracy. Asaduzzaman argued that these articles stop important democratic reforms and concentrate too much power in one place. He said, "It is done to prolong the dictatorship for ulterior motives. It is antithetical to the rule of law."

Asaduzzaman also criticised the decision to remove the caretaker government system, which used to oversee elections to keep them fair. He argued that ending this system made people lose trust in the election process and weakened Bangladesh’s democracy. He explained that without the caretaker system, people’s basic rights are affected.

Attorney General calls for removing the 15th Amendment

Asaduzzaman, in his final statement, called for cancelling the 15th Amendment. He claimed it goes against the spirit of Bangladesh’s independence, the values of the Liberation War, and the democratic movements of the 1990s. He asked the court to reconsider if this amendment aligns with the country’s Constitution.

In Bangladesh, attacks on minority Hindus have increased, causing many Hindus to protest and demand safety and justice. About 30,000 Hindus gathered in Chattogram, asking for protection. Police and the military were there to keep things calm. Similar protests have happened in other places, as Hindu groups say harassment is happening across the country.

Since early August, after a student-led protest that led to the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's secular government, there have been many reported attacks on the Hindu community. The temporary leader, Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, says these numbers are too high. But the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council says over 2,000 attacks on Hindus have happened since August 4. This shows that the new government is having a hard time keeping things peaceful.

Recently, there have been fires in Chattogram that destroyed homes and shops belonging to tribal people. This made India urge the Bangladeshi government to protect its Hindu community. The situation got worse after a clash between Hindus and the police over a Facebook post that criticised ISKCON. This has led to calls to ban ISKCON in Bangladesh and added to the religious tensions in the country.

therealwavingsnail on November 16th, 2024 at 08:20 UTC »

I used to think Bangladesh must have some sort of special sauce that makes a majority muslim country not insane. Not anymore it seems

WonderstruckWonderer on November 16th, 2024 at 07:18 UTC »

The poor Hindus, Buddhists & Christians in Bangladesh :(

Exotemporal on November 16th, 2024 at 06:49 UTC »

It's exhausting to have to watch obscurantism thrive in so many places around the world. The march of social progress seemed unstoppable in the late 90s.