The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Eminent jurist and constitution framer Dr Kamal Hossain demanded of the government to observe the Constitution Day on November 4 at national level and introduce text of the constitution in the text books in secondary or higher secondary level.

He was speaking at a discussion meeting on the 35th Constitution Day at the National Press Club yesterday.

He said national unity should be formed on the spirit of the constitution to reserve the right of the people and implement the ideologies of our independence.

Dr Kamal said the country was trying to get itself out of a crisis situation by holding a free and fair election.

Chairman of the 34-member Constitution Committee formed on April 10, 1972, Dr Kamal said secular politics was the tradition of Bangalis and the symbol of the Bangalis was the constitution.

On November 4, in 1972 the Constitution was approved by the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh, which was based on the proclamation of our independence and the ideologies of the Liberation War. The four basics of the constitution in 1972 were secularism, democracy, socialism and nationalism.

Members of the Constitution Committee Suranjit Sen Gupta, Barrister Amirul Islam, Prof Abu Syed, Whip Abdur Rauf and civil society representative Badiul Alam Majumder, among others were present at the meeting.

Suranjit Sen Gupta said the trial of the war criminals of Jamaat would be held under the existing constitution though it had two surgeries in it by the then military Army Government.

He said Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed expressed solidarity with the demand of trial of war criminals and banning them from election but he should take initiative.

"There is no scope to deviate from the way of constitution and secularism and on the ideology of it all the parties should form unity", he added.

Barrister Amir-ul-Islam said the constitution of Bangladesh was a modern one.

The programme was organised focusing the main part of the constitution that the 'people are the owner of all power of the republic."