Muniruzzam warns against constitutional reform by interim govt

Despite backing the interim government's state reform initiative, ANM Muniruzzaman, chief of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), believes it would be inappropriate for an unelected administration to make changes to the Constitution.

“I personally believe the Constitution should not be left untouched," Muniruzzaman said during a discussion with the National Consensus Commission at the auditorium of Dhaka's Krishibid Institution on Sunday.

"Only elected representatives -- those who come to power through elections -- should have the authority to amend it. No one else has the right or jurisdiction to make major changes to the Constitution. If such changes are attempted, the resulting complexities may be difficult to overcome.”

He stressed the need to set sights on reforms that are "realistically achievable".

"We shouldn't attempt anything beyond that. Given the complex situation we are already in, such actions could make things even more complicated.”

The security analyst added, “Above all, we must keep in mind that we need to transition back to democracy as soon as possible. One of the main aspirations behind the July-August revolution was to escape from authoritarianism and restore democracy.”

Muniruzzaman also cautioned against placing unrealistic expectations on the interim government to carry out all necessary reforms.

“At this stage, we should focus on reforms that are practical. Among those, there are two specific reforms we should prioritise. No reform will be sustainable if political leaders or political parties are not in agreement.”

He continued, “We’ve seen in the past that many reforms were undertaken, particularly during the 1/11 period, but none of them endured.”

“Therefore, we should pursue reforms that are sustainable and beneficial to the nation in the long run.”