Constitution reform panel to seek broad public, stakeholder opinions.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md. Asaduzzaman today said the parliamentary special committee, formed to amend the Constitution on the basis of the July Charter, will seek opinions from all relevant stakeholders, including people from different walks of life, family members of the July martyrs, July fighters, participants in the Anti-Discrimination Movement, journalists, lawyers and retired judges.
He made the remarks while briefing reporters after the first meeting of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Constitution Amendment at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban here.
The minister said the special committee was constituted by the Jatiya Sangsad under the directive of the Prime Minister to amend the Constitution in line with the July Charter 2025.
The committee will work to implement the proposals contained in the July Charter within the constitutional and legal framework.
He said those who had worked tirelessly in formulating the July Charter would also be consulted. After reviewing all opinions, the committee would finalise the proposed constitutional amendments to ensure the implementation of the spirit of the July Charter.
Asaduzzaman said there had initially been a plan to form a 17-member committee comprising seven BNP lawmakers, four members from different political parties represented in parliament, one independent member and five members from the opposition.
However, he said, the opposition has not yet submitted the names of its members. “The door remains open for them and they will be included immediately after submitting the names,” he added.
The minister said although the opposition has not joined the committee, the consensus recommendations endorsed by the 33 political parties that signed the July Charter would be taken into consideration in the constitutional amendment process.
At the same time, he said, the committee would remain open to accepting constructive criticism and suggestions.
Replying to a question, the law minister said the proposals contained in Articles 1 to 47 of the July Charter would not be incorporated verbatim into the draft amendments. Instead, they would be translated into appropriate constitutional and legal language.
Regarding the proposal for a bicameral parliament and changes to the electoral system, he said these were also part of the July Charter. However, where any political party holds a different position reflected in its election manifesto, that stance would be considered in accordance with the directives of the July Charter.
The minister said the entire Constitution would have to be reviewed to ensure consistency among its various provisions. He added that established principles of constitutional jurisprudence, including India’s Basic Structure Doctrine, would also be taken into consideration.
“The reform process will be guided by constitutional and legal principles, not by emotion,” he said.
He said the constitutional amendment was not aimed at meeting any short-term objective but was being undertaken with a long-term vision, keeping in mind the needs of future generations. Therefore, the reform process would be completed after taking the necessary time.
The law minister also said India’s Constitution has been amended more than a hundred times since 1950, while the US Constitution has also undergone several amendments. Therefore, constitutional amendment is a normal and continuous process whenever required.
Earlier, the committee’s first meeting was held under the chairmanship of Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.
Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman, Zainul Abedin, Md Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, Andaleeve Rahman, Md Nurul Haque, Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin, Farzana Sharmin, Sakila Farzana and Md Mahmudul Haque Rubel, among others, attended the meeting.
