Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed commented that the Constitution is never reformed; rather, it is repealed, suspended, or amended.
He made this remark on Sunday (April 5) while participating in a discussion on the proposal related to the July National Charter and Constitutional Amendment at the National Parliament session. At that time, he proposed the formation of a ‘Special Parliamentary Committee’ with the coordination of all parties to amend the Constitution.
Salahuddin Ahmed stated that the Fifteenth Amendment introduced many ‘legislative frauds’ or legal deceits into the Constitution. The High Court has already declared some parts of it unconstitutional. The remaining parts will be decided by this sovereign Parliament to be repealed or amended. He emphasized that the incorrect history and so-called declaration of independence imposed in Schedules 5, 6, and 7 need to be abolished.
He further added that it was Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman who declared independence on March 26 and proclaimed himself Provisional Head of State from Kalurghat on March 27. “This is the true history that we want to restore in the Constitution,” he said.
Regarding the principle of faith and trust in Allah as a core principle of the Constitution, the Home Minister said, “We want to reinstate the principle of ‘Absolute Trust and Faith in Almighty Allah’ in the Constitution. This was included by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, which was later removed by a fascist government. Although it was supposed to be in the July Charter, it was not included due to objections from some parties. However, we are determined to bring it back.”
Salahuddin Ahmed stated that the people are the owners of all state power, and that power is exercised through this Parliament. “We have received a mandate to introduce an upper house with 100 members, where political parties will be represented proportionally,” he added.
Addressing the opposition parties, he said, “Let the ruling party, opposition parties, and independent members sit together and discuss in the special parliamentary committee. How the Constitution will be amended will be determined in this Parliament, not by any prescription imported from outside,” the Home Minister stated.
