PM takes a swipe at reform seekers to the constitution

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Wednesday slammed those seeking constitutional amendment again, saying that these people were either advisers to military dictators or worked with them in other capacities and licked their feet and begged their mercy.
‘While discussing, some people do not see any democracy [in the country], some are pushing for forming Constitution Reform Commission for constitutional amendment, some are saying many things, when I see these faces some of them were once advisers to the military dictators, some did job with them, some licked their feet and some begged their mercy. At that time, the door of their conscience was shut,’ she said.
The prime minister was addressing a function arranged marking the laying of the foundation stone of the Tathaya Bhaban (Information Building) on the premises Department of Film and Publication at city’s Circuit House Road.
The PM’s remarks came in the wake of recommendation by a 13-member group called ‘Concerned Citizen’s Group’ on Tuesday to form a ‘Constitution Reform Commission’ to bring necessary changes in the charter for an ‘effective democratic system’.
The proposed commission would also seek to work on how to bring checks and balances between the power of the president and the prime minister. The group made the recommendations after a roundtable titled ‘Checks and balances of power to achieve fuller democracy’ at the capital’s BRAC Centre Inn.
Former chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, former TIB executive director Manzoor Hasan, former caretaker government advisers M Hafizuddin Khan and Rasheda K Chowdhury, executive director of Policy Research Institute Ahsan H Mansur, Citizens for Good Governance secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, jurist Shahdeen Malik and local government expert Tofail Ahmed were present at that programme.
The prime minister said, ‘After assuming office, the government has created the scope for freedom of expression opening the door of their free thinking… The more they have got democracy, the more they have started demanding. They are always demanding more, more and more,’ she said adding there were some demerits in making unwise demands.
She said the present government has ensured the right of expression of speech. ‘Everybody is talking… everybody is speaking out their minds. They are getting that scope,’ she said.
The prime minister requested them to recall the situation during 1991-96 and 2001-2008. ‘How much had they been to talk at that time, you should think about that,’ she said.
Held with information secretary Martuza Ahmed in the chair, the programme was addressed, among others, by information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, PM’s adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on information ministry AKM Rahmatullah, MP.

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