Existing constitution paves way to form person-centric dictatorship: Ali Riaz
All political parties must remain united in implementing the opportunity for structural change in the country, says the head of the Constitution Reform Commission
The existing constitution itself paves the way to form a one-person-centric dictator government in the country, said Prof Ali Riaz, head of the Constitution Reform Commission, today (1 February).
He made the remarks while addressing a seminar on "Good Governance and Democracy", organised by the Center for Democracy and Good Governance in Dhaka.
Riaz said the constitution drafted in 1972 had introduced a person-centred authoritarian system in the country.
"Despite several amendments to the constitution, the power of the president was taken to the prime minister, making the latter's power person-centred," he said.
Mentioning that only person-centred dictatorship was established in the past 16 years, Riaz stated that after 1970, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's dictatorship returned through Sheikh Hasina.
Emphasising the establishment of democracy, he said, all political parties must remain united in implementing the opportunity for structural change in the country.
"Not just the desire to oust the fascist government, the desire for change has also been created through the mass uprising. This is now the path to establish democracy in the post-mass uprising Bangladesh," said Riaz.