On 18.01.25, our host Dr. Rahyan Rashid joined Barrister Tania Amir to discuss the proposed Constitutional reforms in Bangladesh. Here are 4 takeways from that discussion:
1. The government claims its legitimacy holds, in accordance with Article 106 of the Bangladeshi Constitution, from an opinion provided by the Supreme Court. Yet this central opinion is nowhere to be found.
2. According to the Constitution, only an elected Parliament can approve ammendments (with a 2/3 majority). So is the current government planning to illegally approve these reforms or will it hold elections under current constitutional provisions? By the way, also, when will these elections take place?
3. The Bangladeshi Constitutional Reform Committee lacks experienced constitutional lawyers. It is led by Dr. Ali Riaz, who, according to Wikipedia, is ‘a writer on religion and politics’. Dr. Riaz also holds US citizenship and is a member of the Atlantic Council; both positions present a direct conflict of interest with the Bangladeshi national cause.
4. Most shocking of all is the proposal to remove Secularism from the Constitution’s Preamble. Not only is secularism a founding value of Bangladeshi independence and history, it is a cornerstone of a progressive and lawful state. In the words of Mrs. Amir, ‘As regards secularism, Bangladesh is a nightmare for Muslim rulers around the world – and a ray of hope for Muslim people around the world. There is no lack of agents who deem Bangladesh as an unfortunate experiment which has to be undone.’ Indeed, the attempt to remove secularism from the Constitution’s Preamble indicates nothing good for the whole reform process.
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