Draft constitution almost ready

August 29, 1972

BANGABANDHU'S HEALTH CONDITION SATISFACTORY

Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's health condition is satisfactory, says a health bulletin issued by Bangabandhu's personal physician Dr Nurul Islam today. Bangabandhu has a long discussion with the Bangladesh Ambassador to France, Abdul Fatteh today.

The Swiss Ambassador to the UN headquarters in Geneva called on the Bangladesh prime minister yesterday.  

Bangabandhu was yesterday shown a letter from Islamabad which gave a graphic account of the plight of Bangalee officials in Pakistan. The letter was written by a senior Bangalee official to his brother who is now a resident of Geneva. The writer of the letter says that life as a Bangalee in Pakistan is a veritable hell. He has not been paid any salary or maintenance allowance since January last.

EXPERTS EXAMINING CONSTITUTION TEXT

Dr Kamal Hossain, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, tells a press conference in Dhaka today that the draft constitution is almost ready. He does not, however, commit himself to any specific date for making the draft constitution public. The minister further informs that the Constitution Drafting Committee has approved the substance of the draft constitution and it is now under careful scrutiny of the technical draftsmen and scholars of the Bangla language.

Dr Hossain declares that the government would constitute a tribunal to try the war criminals soon. "The tribunal will be framed under our own law and it will be our own tribunal," he adds. The minister further informs that the government has made a number of amendments to the collaborators order.

ELECTORAL ROLLS ORDER PROMULGATED

The president today promulgates an order called The Bangladesh Electoral Rolls Order, 1972 which comes into force at once throughout Bangladesh. The Order says that persons attaining the age of 18 will be eligible to cast their vote for the purpose of election of representatives of people to elective bodies on the basis of adult franchise. 

SOURCES: August 30, 1972 issues of Bangladesh Observer, Dainik Bangla and Dainik Ittefaq.