Bangladesh's 90% population is Muslim, drop ‘secular’ from Constitution: Attorney General

The Attorney General of Bangladesh, Md Asaduzzaman, has called for significant amendments in the country’s Constitution, including removal of the word “secular”, considering that “90 per cent of the population in the country was Muslim.”

Asaduzzaman presented his arguments during a court hearing on the 15th Amendment’s legality before Justices Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury.

The Attorney General said the changes “would align the Constitution with the country’s democratic and historical ethos".

‘Want it the way it was before’

“Earlier, there was constant trust and faith in Allah. I want it the way it was before,” Asaduzzaman.

“It is said in Article 2A that the state shall ensure equal rights and equality in the practice of all religions. Article 9 talks about ‘Bengali nationalism’. It is contradictory,” he further said.

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Amendment to ‘Father of the Nation’ label

The Attorney General also sought for the Constitutional amendment of labelling Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the “Father of the Nation”, claiming that it contributes to national divide and restricts freedom of speech.

“Honouring the contributions of Sheikh Mujib is vital, but enforcing it by law creates division,” he said.

Avoid promoting authoritarianism

The Bangladesh AG also advocated for Constitutional reforms to reflect the values of democracy, the Liberation War and national unity, and avoid promoting authoritarianism.

Asaduzzaman, who was appointed the attorney general of Bangladesh in August after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country, even objected to Articles 7A and 7B, which restricts any amendments that could “subvert democracy”.

He argued that these undermine provisions hinder democratic reforms and consolidating political power. “It is done to prolong the dictatorship for ulterior motives. It is antithetical to the rule of law,” the AG added.

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Caretaker govt removal may harm Bangladesh’s democratic foundations

Asaduzzaman also condemned the removal of the caretaker government system, previously used to oversee elections in the country.

As per him, abolishing the caretaker government system compromised the fundamental rights of Bangladeshi citizens, weakened public trust, and harmed the country’s democratic foundation.

Pitching for the revocation of the 15th amendment, Asaduzzaman asserted that it disrupts the independence legacy of Bangladesh and contradicts the “spirit of the Liberation War” as well as the democratic uprisings of the 1990s.

With inputs from agencies.