POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Jan 15, 2025: The Constitution Reform Commission has proposed to replace the names ‘Republic’ and ‘People’s Republic of Bangladesh’ in the Constitution of Bangladesh with ‘Civil Democracy’ and ‘People’s Democracy’. It has also recommended to abolish the provision ‘The people of Bangladesh are Bengalis as a nation’.
On Wednesday (January 15), the Constitution Reform Commission led by Professor Ali Riaz submitted a report containing recommendations for reform to the Chief Advisor. These changes have been mentioned in their proposed recommendations.
At the same time, the Reform Commission has also proposed to include four new principles along with democracy, excluding nationalism, socialism and secularism from the current four principles of the Constitution.
The principles they recommended are – equality, human dignity, social justice, pluralism and democracy.
The commission also recommended that the term of the government and the National Assembly be four years, that the Prime Minister cannot serve more than two terms, and that the age limit for running for parliament be 21 years. It has also been proposed to include a deputy speaker from the opposition party in parliament.
The reform commission also recommended that members of parliament be able to vote against their own party in all matters except for the money bill. The term of the president has been set at four years. The commission also proposed voting in both houses to amend the constitution.
In addition to the Constitutional Reform Commission, three other reform commissions submitted their reports on the day. The other three commissions are the electoral system, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Police Reform Commission.
In addition, the Police Reform Commission submitted its report seeking some instructions on setting limits on the use of force by the police to control illegal assemblies and processions, arresting without a warrant, and interrogating the accused in custody. The commission also sought amendments and revisions to 22 laws for force reform.
At the same time on Wednesday, Police Reform Commission chief Safar Raj Hossain submitted the report to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.
Safar Raj Hossain said that more than 220,000 police officers have to work with more than 3,000 laws. It was not possible to examine all the laws in detail. However, these 22 laws need to be amended, revised or changed in some areas. We have said that we have objections to some areas of these 22 laws; we have recommended that.
In addition to the police, the Election System, ACC and the Constitution Reform Commission submitted their reports to the Chief Advisor in Tejgaon today with specific recommendations for state reform. Safar Raj, the head of the Police Reform Commission, said that there are special rules and regulations to control crowds or public gatherings.
In July-August, there were allegations of excessive use of force by the police on students and the public to suppress the movement to overthrow the government. The families of those who lost their lives in the movement were also apologized to by the police. When the Awami League government fell, the interim government came to power and formed the Police Reform Commission to bring reforms in the police force as well as reforms at various levels of the state.
In the report, this commission also recommended arrest without warrant and interrogation on remand. Safar Raj Hossain said, in both cases, there are some instructions from the High Court and the Supreme Court, if they could have been implemented, then perhaps the suffering of the public would have been reduced. Excessive force could not have been used, no arrests could have been made arbitrarily. The instructions should have been followed. But a review petition has been filed by the government, as a result of which it is not being implemented. I have requested that the government withdraw it, only then it will be possible to implement those instructions. The Law Ministry may do what is necessary for this. In addition, it has been recommended to set up a desk for women police in every police station.
The interim government will implement the recommendations of the Reform Commission based on the consensus of the political parties, said Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Advisor Dr. Asif Nazrul. He said this at a media briefing organized at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Wednesday (January 15).
Asif Nazrul said, discussions will begin with the political parties on the reports given by the commissions in mid-February. The government will move towards implementing the recommendations of the commissions based on the discussions. Its implementation will depend on the consensus of the political parties.
