Court has nothing to do with constitutional amendments
Says Menon
Mangal Kumar Chakma speaks at a discussion meeting at Cirdap Auditorium in the city yesterday. On his left are Syed Abul Moksud, Ghulam Rabbani, Ayesha Khanam, Rabindranath Saren and Pankaj Bhattacharia.Photo: STAR
Terming the debate over amendment of the constitution "unnecessary," Workers Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon MP yesterday said only the parliament has the authority to amend it. “Only the parliament can amend the constitution and the court has nothing to do with amendment to the constitution, it (the court) has just declared the martial law proclamations illegal,” he said while addressing a discussion on the constitutional recognition of indigenous community. Almost everybody is getting involved in an "unnecessary debate" over the amendment, said Menon, also a member of the special committee of the parliament for constitutional amendment. He said the indigenous community should be recognised in the constitution. “Indigenous people do not want to identify themselves as tribal rather want to be termed indigenous people and the matter should be settled after discussion with them," he said. Manusher Jonno Foundation and Kaapeng Foundation jointly organised the discussion titled 'Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous People: Context and Relevance' at Cirdap Auditorium in the city. Mangal Kumar Chakma, adviser of Kaapeng Foundation, presented the keynote paper. Columnist and researcher Syed Abul Maksud said the indigenous people would get their rights of self-identity through recognition in the constitution. The indigenous people should be recognised in the constitution after discussion with all concerned in such a way so that no controversy can arise in the future, he said. Shaktipada Tripura, organising secretary of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), said no one can say indigenous people as "tribal" as the community is termed "ethnic minority" in the law, passed by the government recently, about the cultural institutions of indigenous people. Both the constitutional recognition of the indigenous people and at the same time its implementation is important, he said. Sanjib Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, said before including the provisions about indigenous community in the constitution, discussions should be organised with the representatives of the indigenous people. Pankaj Bhattacharya, vice president of Sammilito Shamajik Andolan and Ayesha Khanam, president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, also spoke at the discussion chaired by Justice Ghulam Rabbani.
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