Deep basic changes, not all, to Constitution realistic

Constitution of Bangladesh

As the Constitution of Bangladesh is called for reform from almost all political parties, some are asking for a complete rewriting of the same, while others call for making the basic changes that would ensure the holding of a free and fair general election and leave details to the next elected Parliament.

Meanwhile, a group of political scientists have called for the setting of a second republic, in line with the tradition of France. Some anti-discrimination student leaders have also started lobbying with the political parties to establish a new republic where democracy will be unhindered and there will be no discrimination among citizens.

This option, if taken, will create a heavy burden on the shoulder of the Interim Government which has already been under pressure to declare a roadmap for the next general election. And under this pressure some advisers to the government have come out with statements that polls will be held no later than 2025. 

while the spirit of writing a fresh democratic constitution sounds good, past experiences with this exercise present a rather unpleasant picture. The 1956 Constitution of erstwhile Pakistan was by and large agreed to by the political parties. But when military ruler Ayub Khan abrogated it, he only sowed the seeds of instability that was never bridged and led to the bloody war of Bangladesh's independence.

President Ayun Khan had introduced his version of a constitution in 1962 for indirect democracy but it did not stand the test of time and collapsed with the collapse of his government in 1969. Under his successor Gen. Yahya Khan another initiative was taken to frame a fresh constitution that did never materialize.

In Bangladesh today, the Interim Government will not have enough time to draft a fresh constitution. Again whatever it does should be endorsed in the next elected Parliament. So the best practicable option is to bring some basic changes, for instance, to restore the system of elections under a caretaker government, and unfettered independence of the judiciary and the press, and call elections and leave the details to be done by the the next elected Parliament.

We need to restore democracy and establish a system of checks and balances so that unilateral change of the constitution to establish dictatorship becomes impossible in the future. Let's trust each other but also keep each other in check not to exceed the boundaries set by democracy, human rights and sustainable life, livelihood and development. Let's not put the Interim Government into trouble by asking it to deliver everything within two years.