Constitution needs to be rewritten: Ali Riaz
Riaz made the comment at a press briefing titled “Conversation for Democratic Restructuring” at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital today (29 August)
The reforms of various institutions, including rewriting the constitution, has become imperative in addition to holding a free, fair, and inclusive election to restore democratic governance, said Ali Riaz, distinguished professor at the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, USA.
He expressed the view at a press conference titled "Dialogue for Democratic Reconstruction", organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital today (29 August).
Ali Riaz, who is also an adviser of the CGS, said, "The constitution needs to be rewritten because amending the current one is extremely challenging. A significant portion, nearly one-third, is embedded in the basic structure and cannot be altered. There are elements within it that are untouchable, regardless of the circumstances. This is why the discussion on rewriting the constitution has gained momentum."
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Mentioning the politicisation of institutions in the country during the Awami League regime, he added, "Institutions did not collapse spontaneously but were destroyed in a well-planned manner to prolong the centralised rule. Bangladesh is at a critical juncture at this moment. The problem needs to be solved by restructuring the institutions."
At the press conference, it was announced that the CGS will organise a series of dialogues on eight key issues at both national and regional levels over the next five months.
The dialogues will address topics such as the constitution, justice for victims of human rights violations, the judiciary, civil administration, and constitutional bodies including intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and economic policies including the banking sector and foreign debt, and the media.
The dialogues aim to gather perspectives and recommendations from civil society and experts from various sectors across the country. This input will help create a clear roadmap for the future, facilitating democratic reconstruction and ensuring the country's political stability.
