Staff Correspondent

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir thinks that the current constitution of the country should be rewritten, as the Awami League government has damaged it through various amendments, including the incorporation of certain unchangeable articles.

In an interview with UNB, he, however, said the current interim government should only make necessary amendments to the constitution to facilitate a national election rather than pursuing major amendments or reformulating the national charter.

Fakhrul said the national parliament, which will be formed through the next election, will determine whether to retain the current constitution with amendments or formulate a new one.

He also said the BNP is ready for the next national election, but the party plans to hold its 7th national council before the polls to ensure better leadership and preparation.

This is the final report in a three-part series based on a recent interview with Mirza Fakhrul, who discussed various issues, including the current political situation, government reforms, the national election, BNP's future plans, and the party's council.

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"The constitution must be changed. The Awami League has completely dented it with various amendments,” Fakhrul said.

He said certain articles in the constitution cannot be amended for life. “If you change these articles, you will be hanged. Given the current state of the constitution, it should be rewritten.”

The BNP leader said an elected government and parliament are necessary for making a final decision about the constitution. “A constitutional assembly also would be needed to reformulate the constitution, which takes time… let the elected parliament decide.”

Article 7B of the constitution, following the 15th amendment, rendered a large section of the constitution non-amendable.

According to Article 7B, “Notwithstanding anything contained in article 142 of the Constitution, the preamble, all articles of Part I, all articles of Part II, subject to the provisions of Part IXA all articles of Part III, and the provisions of articles relating to the basic structures of the Constitution including article 150 of Part XI shall not be amendable by way of insertion, modification, substitution, repeal or by any other means.”

Asked about the BNP’s preparation for the polls, Fakhrul said their party is always ready for elections, as it is a party with the potential to come to power.

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“Those of us involved in BNP politics want to take responsibility for running the state and serving the people. We also do not have a shortage of suitable candidates in any constituency; we have four, five, or even 10 candidates per seat,” he said.

The BNP leader said they are working to revitalise the party in various ways. 'We previously reorganised our party for a movement, so we won’t face any problems whenever the election is held."

He said they are currently they planning to launch a membership drive across the country, after which they will hold the national council ahead of the election. “I believe we should convene the council immediately to strengthen our electoral structure.”

Asked when BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman may return home from the UK, Fakhrul said he would come back once the legal barriers are removed. “There are several cases against Tarique Rahman, and he will return to the country as soon as those are cleared.”

The BNP leader said the interim government committed during their first meeting to withdraw all cases against political leaders and activists, including Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman.

He mentioned that they will write a letter to the government requesting the withdrawal of all cases filed against BNP leaders and activists since 2007.

Regarding the demand from various political parties and civil society members for introducing a proportional representation (PR) system in elections, Fakhrul said it is not suitable for Bangladesh. “We won’t support it. This method is not practiced in Bangladesh, so there is no question of its application in this election,” he observed.

Replying to a question about BNP’s current relationship with Jamaat, he said there is no visible distance between the two parties.

“BNP and Jamaat have completely different politics, thoughts, and ideals. Those who wish to establish the Awami League's politics try to bracket BNP and Jamaat together. We allied with Jamaat for the sake of the movement and elections, but our political ideologies and perspectives are different,” the BNP leader said.

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In response to another question about whether Jamaat would be part of BNP’s coalition in the next election, he said, 'It's too early to say. We will gauge public opinion before the election and decide whether we’ll participate independently or as part of an alliance.”

Fakhrul emphasised the urgent need to restructure the police force, which he stated has been destroyed by the previous government.

“All members of the force involved in misconduct and misdeeds must be dismissed. Those who have been politically marginalised should be reinstated quickly. New recruitment must be completed promptly, and the new members should be trained in a short time. Additionally, some retired officers who still have the capacity could be brought back to address the current crisis,” he said.