Dr. Kamal Hossain calls for national consensus

National consensus in favour of clean politics is the only way to be free from the grips of divisive politics, said Dr. Kamal Hossain, one of the proponents of the Bangladesh constitution. He said that already a wide consensus had been forged in the country and now this needed to be brought under an organised programme.

He was exchanging views with journalists yesterday, Thursday, at his residence in Bailey Road.

The senior Supreme Court lawyer and president of Gonoforum said, "People's empowerment is the basis of effective democracy and the rule of law. Yet this constitutional declaration is being made into a farce today. We can proceed towards empowering the people by reestablishing people's voting rights. There is no alternative to a credible national election with the participation of the people.

Kamal Hossain said, "Independence means power of the people. We tolerated the sufferings of domination during Pakistan times. We never imagined we would have to suffer this after independence. Every person will have the right to speak and the people's representatives will have to learn to listen. This is what people expect. And if their words are just and constitutionally acceptable, then they must be implemented. There is consensus in this regard. Ignoring this amounts to ignoring the constitution and independence."

Kamal Hossain said, "I do not think there is any debate over the four fundamental principals of the constitution. Misinterpretations have divided the people. There is no controversy over religion, the controversy is created to create the divisions. Sick politics is dependent on divisions. The people of the country will be guided by the constitution and the law. Laws cannot be made in a matter of four minutes. Amendments can't be brought about in a couple of hours."

Kamal Hossain said that the educational institutions must be freed of violence to build a developed and meritorious nation. It is essential to maintain neutrality in all levels of the state system. The judiciary, public administration, police and constitutional institutions must all be free of politicisation. Qualifications, skills and merit, not political consideration, must be given priority in appointments.

Present at the meeting were Manabjamin's chief editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, New Age's editor Nurul Kabir, former Bangladesh bureau chief of Associated Press (AP) Farid Hossain, Nagorik Oikya convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna, and others.