The Crime Desk: BNP International Affairs Co-Editor Barrister Rumin Farhana said, “Sheikh Hasina is right; according to the current constitution of the country, she is still the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.”
He said these things in a discussion on ‘Constitution: Power, not the People’ organized at the Jahangirnagar University Faculty of Sociology Gallery at around 6:30 pm on Tuesday (October 8).
Referring to the swearing in of the interim government under the current constitution, Rumin Farhana said, “Is there a constitution in the country or not?” no If there is no constitution, then how did the interim government take oath under this constitution? It is a place for open discussion. One is, if there is no constitution, how does this interim government take oath? Two, if this constitution stands, then terrible news awaits us all. Sheikh Hasina is still the prime minister. According to Article 57(3) of the Constitution, the previous prime minister shall remain in office until a newly elected prime minister takes over. Sheikh Hasina said on the telephone, “I will enter quickly; I am still the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.” It was not wrong according to this constitution.
Rumin Farhana said, “You are the new generation.” I request, with folded hands, that you put religion in the place of religion. Put the state in the place of the state. Never mix religion with the state or religion with politics.
He said, “Article 2A is added to the constitution, and it is said that the state religion of the republic will be Islam.” But other religions can also be practiced peacefully in the republic. Article 8 of the same constitution states that one of the basic principles of state management is nationalism, another is socialism, the other is democracy, and the other is secularism. By keeping Islam as the state religion in the constitution, how did you make secularism the principle of the state?
Regarding the amendment of the constitution, Rumin Farhana said, “There needs to be a separate discussion on whether this constitution will keep the next generation or not.” However, whether this constitution will be amended again or whether we will write a new one, there may be a referendum.
Professor Sharmind Nilormi of the Department of Economics of Jahangirnagar University, a member of the white paper drafting committee of the interim government, and Advocate Hasnat Qayyum, the chief coordinator of the state reform movement, also spoke in the discussion.
