Bangabandhu presented constitution within 7-month: lawmakers
Treasury and opposition lawmakers today said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman presented newly independent Bangladesh's constitution within seven months of the national assembly's first session while Pakistan couldn't even do it in more than two decades.
After the independence, the then National Assembly under Bangabandhu's leadership adopted constitution within 208 days which Pakistan could not do in 25 years, they said.
The lawmakers were speaking at the 22nd special session of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) marking its golden jubilee at the Sangsad Bhaban with speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Participating in the discussion, ruling party lawmaker Moslem Uddin of Mymensingh-6 said, "The first session of the national assembly started on 10 April, 1972 and the constitution was endorsed on 4 November, 1972 under Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's leadership".
Uddin, also a former member of the then National Assembly, said even, India took 3 years and United States of America (USA) took five years and nine months to ratify their respective constitutions.
Information and broadcasting minister Hasan Mahmud said parliamentary democracy and development is closely related, adding that the country is now globally praised for the restoration of parliamentary democracy under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
BNP is hatching conspiracy to destabilise the parliament, he said. In fact, the BNP lawmakers had resigned from the parliament recently aiming to destabilise it, added the minister, also a lawmaker from Chattogram-7 constituency.
"Bangabandhu could develop the infrastructure of the state soon after the independence while Pakistan could not do it in a decade", said opposition Jatiya Party lawmaker Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary from Gaibandha-1 constituency.
Bangladesh Workers Party lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon of Dhaka-8 said that after the assassination of Bangabandhu, martial law administrator Ziaur Rahman had not only brought changes in the constitution but also made the Jatiya Sangsad vulnerable.
"Bangladesh would not have been a smart country if the constitution wasn't reviewed as we must restore non communal sprit in the constitution", said the workers party leader.
Former whip of the ruling Awami League Abdus Shahid of Moulvibazar-4 said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman not only pushed for the independence but also worked for strengthening the foundation of democracy.
Education minister Dipu Moni said, "We will build a smart Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina".
"We must resist the evil forces who were involved with the killings respectively in 1971, 1975 and 2004", she told the parliament.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) lawmaker Hasanul Huq Inu of Khustia-2 said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had restored the parliamentary democracy while BNP wants to establish undemocratic government and these evil forces should be resisted.
Terming Bangabandhu as a farsighted leader, state minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said, "Bangabandhu had included massive rural electrification in the section sixteen of the constitution for bringing huge economic change in urban as well as rural areas."
Bangladesh achieved independence because of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s twenty-three long years of struggle, said state minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, recalling the charismatic leadership of Bangabandhu.
Earlier, Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina on Friday brought a resolution under section 147 of the rules of procedure of Jatiya Sangsad on the golden jubilee of JS.
Treasury bench lawmakers Razi Uddin Ahmed of Narshingdi-5, Imajuddin Pramanik of Naogaon-4, Abul Kalam Azad of Jamalpur-1, Shahjahan Khan of Madaripur-2, ASM Feroz of Patuakhali-2, Md Saifuzzaman of Magura-1, Nahim Razzaque of Shariatpur-4, Habiba Rahman Khan of women seat-17, Tanvir Shakil Joy of Sirajganj-1, Syeda Zakia Noor of Kishorganj-1, Simeen Hussain Rimi of Gazipur-4, Jatiya Party lawmakers Anisul Islam Mahmud of Chattogram-5, Mashiur Rahman Ranga of Rangpur-1 and Begum Rawshanara Mannan of Women seat-47 also participated in the discussion.