In Bangladesh, the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus stressed for removal of ‘secularism’ from the constitution of Bangladesh citing 90 percent muslim population in the country. “Secularism does not reflect the realities of Bangladesh where 90% of the population is Muslim”, argued the Attorney General of Bangladesh Md Asaduzzaman during the hearings at the High Court on the legality of the 15th Constitutional Amendment on wednesday.
The Attorney General also called for the removal of other key provisions such as ‘socialism’, ‘Bengali nationalism’, and the designation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as “Father of the Nation’.
Touching on the inclusion of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as “Father of the Nation” in the preamble of the constitution during argument, Asaduzzaman acknowledged Mujib’s critical role in Bangladesh’s independence. “Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s contributions to our Liberation War are undeniable, but the imposition of this title in the 15th Amendment deviates from the original spirit of the constitution,” he noted.
Moreover on ‘Bengali Nationalism’, the Attorney General further criticised national identity through language, claiming it has fostered unnecessary divisions among citizens. He argued that no other country uses language as a basis for national identity, making this provision unique and problematic.
The Attorney General vehemently opposed the abolition of the caretaker government system.
A caretaker government system of Bangladesh was the system of an unelected interim government tasked with organizing free and fair general elections. In 2011, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League-led government abolished the caretaker government system with the 15th constitutional amendment. This amendment was opposed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and other parties.
