The fullness of a patriot
It was a pleasure to read Syed Badrul Ahsan's piece on Dr. Kamal Hossain (July 14). Arguably, Bangladesh has never produced an internationally reputed lawyer of Hossain's calibre in contemporary times. While I have never had much sympathy for the Awami League's philosophy, the former foreign minister of ours is one Awami League stalwart whose scholarship, cosmopolitanism, and erudition set him in a class apart.
However, the fact remains that he was responsible, as the key author of the Republic's earliest Constitutional amendments, for dismembering the very democracy he had fought so hard to create in 1971-1972. Our first derailment from the path of democracy happened not in August 1975 but long before that when, as Law Minister and Constitutional adviser, Dr. Kamal Hossain penned and piloted in parliament the black amendments that, successively, destroyed the independence of the judiciary, centralized state power, criminalized dissent, and shut down all newspapers.
Dr. Kamal Hossain is a great man and a patriot, no doubt, but he is hardly without blemish.
Syed Badrul Ahsan replies:
We wish to point out in this context that Dr. Kamal Hossain served as law minister between January 1972 and March 1973, after which he served as foreign minister till August 15,1975. The historical record nowhere mentions him as having any role in the amendments referred to in the letter.
We wish to point out in this context that Dr. Kamal Hossain served as law minister between January 1972 and March 1973, after which he served as foreign minister till August 15,1975. The historical record nowhere mentions him as having any role in the amendments referred to in the letter.
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