Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Professor Ali Riaz on Tuesday said the July Charter would ensure the religious rights of every citizen and help build a society based on equality, human dignity and social justice.
“The state will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of religious belief. The July Charter will guarantee equal rights for all citizens,” he said.
Ali Riaz made the remarks during a view-exchange meeting with followers of traditional religions at the National Museum auditorium in the capital. The program was organised by the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust to promote the referendum and encourage voter participation.
Recalling the cost paid to reach the present moment, he said: “We have had to cross a bloody path in dreaming of a democratic and humane homeland. We do not want to lose this golden opportunity that has come at such a great price.”
He said extensive reforms were needed to rescue the state from what he described as the legacy of fascism. “To change the existing system and carry out these reforms, saying ‘yes’ in the upcoming referendum is the demand of the time,” he added.
Referring to Article 7(a) of the Constitution, Ali Riaz said all power in the republic belongs to the people, but that right had long been denied. “Participation in the referendum is a matter of conscience so that the future Bangladesh does not resemble the past. Through a successful referendum, it will be possible to build the desired state system,” he said.
Speaking on the appointment and role of the president, he said that in practice most decisions in the past were taken at the will of the prime minister. “Although the Constitution provides that the president appoints constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission, the Public Service Commission secretariat and judges of the judiciary, in reality these appointments were made according to the wishes of the head of government,” he said.
In Article 70 of the Constitution, Ali Riaz described it as “putting Scotch tape over the mouths of MPs of one’s own party,” calling it a major obstacle to democratic development. He said the reform proposal suggested that lawmakers remain bound to party decisions on money bills and votes of confidence, while being free to express independent views on other issues.
Speaking as a special guest, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider said the core objective of the Declaration of Independence was to ensure social justice and human values. “We want a society where a child’s identity is determined by merit, knowledge and effort,” he said.
He also urged people not to be misled by what he termed propaganda surrounding the referendum, saying voting “yes” would not undermine religious expressions in the Constitution.
Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Md Kamal Uddin and Secretary of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Devendra Math Orao also spoke at the meeting, which was chaired by Tapan Chandra Majumdar, president of the trust.
