BNP opposes changes to Constitution's preamble, country's official name
In its opinion submitted to the National Consensus Commission, the party has called for constitutional amendment
Highlights:
- BNP not in favour of changing the preamble of the Constitution
- The party also raised objections to the renaming of the state
- The party wants NID and constituency delimitation under Election Commission
The BNP is not in favour of changing the preamble of the Constitution and the National Consensus Commission's recommendation to equate the 2024 mass uprising with the 1971 Liberation War in the Constitution, said Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed today (23 March).
The party has also raised objections to several other issues, including the renaming of the state and taking away the authority over national identity cards and parliamentary constituency delimitation from the Election Commission (EC).
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Talking to reporters following a meeting with the National Consensus Commission at the LD Hall of the National Parliament Complex this afternoon, Salahuddin said, "Replacing the republic with a citizen-based system is unjustified. Democracy has lost its character in the country, so a constitutional amendment is necessary."
At the time, he shared BNP's observations, objections, and recommendations on the reform recommendations after submitting the party's official opinion to the Consensus Commission.
"The BNP does not see the need for a Constituent Assembly vote. However, the party agrees with almost all the recommendations made on judicial reform," he said.
Salahuddin also stated that the BNP had reviewed the key proposals from the commission and disagreed with some, particularly those requiring legal amendments.
"We have received proposals regarding administrative reforms, and we agree with almost half of them. However, we have provided feedback and comments on the remaining suggestions. There are a total of 26 proposals," he said.
He further expressed concerns over a proposal to rename the country from the "People's Republic of Bangladesh" to "Janagantrantrik Bangladesh."
"Changing the name from 'People's Republic of Bangladesh' to 'Janagantrantrik Bangladesh' or any other variation is unnecessary. The country's name has been widely accepted through long-standing practice. The benefits of such a change are questionable, and we do not support it," he added.
He said the BNP believes it would be inappropriate to equate 1971 and 2024.
"The Constitution's preamble was not mentioned in the proposal sheet, but it should have been. The preamble is a crucial part of the Constitution. A complete revision or amendment has been proposed, almost like rewriting it," Salahuddin said.
"In that, the 1971 Liberation War has been placed on the same level as the 2024 uprising, which the BNP does not consider appropriate. There are alternative ways to include it, such as placing it in another section or in the constitutional schedule, which can be discussed further," he added.
He further stated that the BNP supports the preamble as it was before the 15th Amendment.
Salahuddin also said they opposed making the EC accountable to a parliamentary committee. "If the NID is handed over to a separate organisation, the EC will have to approach other bodies repeatedly.
"During the Awami League regime, the NID operations were brought under the Home Ministry. That law has not yet been repealed. It should be repealed, and the NID should remain under the EC."
Additionally, the BNP leader pointed out that determining electoral boundaries is a constitutional power of the EC. A minor printing error in the law regarding this authority has already been reported to the Law Ministry, but it has yet to be corrected.
"Due to this error, the EC is unable to hold hearings on the matter, which may create complications in organising elections," Salahuddin added.
On 6 March, the Consensus Commission sent letters to 37 political parties, seeking opinions on 166 key recommendations regarding constitutional, electoral, public administration, anti-corruption, and judicial reforms. As part of this process, the commission is now holding meetings with political parties.
The commission began formal dialogues on 20 March to finalise the recommendations. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) participated on the first day, agreeing with 120 out of 166 recommendations on state reform.
On Saturday (21 March), leaders from the Khelafat Majlis and the Labour Party joined the discussions.
