Constitutional Amendment
'Reinstate secularism'
Sector Commanders Forum (SCF), a platform of commanders who led the country's liberation war, yesterday placed a three-point demand including insertion of a provision in the constitution banning religion-based party.
Leaders of SCF placed the demand while meeting with the parliamentary special committee on constitutional amendment at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The two other demands are: keeping secularism in the republic's charter as the state policy by scrapping the provision of Islam being the state religion, and dropping the phrase "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim" from the constitution.
Emerging from the hour-long meeting, SCF Vice-Chairman Maj Gen (retd) KM Safiullah told reporters that they have favoured a constitutional reform in the light of the spirit of the country's original charter of 1972.
Presided over by Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, chairperson of the special committee, several members welcomed SCF's recommendations on the constitutional amendment, said meeting source.
Earlier the left parties including Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesher Sammyabadi Dal, and Ganotantri Party also placed similar recommendations to the special committee while meeting with it at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Talking to reporters, war hero KM Safiullah said, "Bangladesh won independence through bloodshed and rejecting the two-nation theory. We did not gain independence on the basis of religion. Therefore, our constitution should bear the character of secularism where the state will give equal priority to all its religions."
Planning Minister and SCF Chairperson AK Khandker, SCF Vice-Chairman Abu Osman Chowdhury, and General Secretary Harun-Ar Rashid, among others, were present at the meeting.
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