'There is no alternative to a renaissance'

M Amir-Ul Islam, senior lawyer and one of the key drafters of the Bangladesh Constitution

As Bangladesh’s Golden Jubilee draws to a close, Prothom Alo confronts three eminent citizens of the country with three questions. All three of them were involved in various ways with the Liberation War or the political upheavals preceding independence. They were asked the same three questions.

M Amir-Ul Islam, one of the key drafters of the Bangladesh Constitution, responds.

Q :

The nation went through various political upheavals which culminated in the 1971 War of Liberation. You yourself were also a part of those unfolding events. What were your thoughts at the time on Bangladesh as a state?

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971. On 10 April we drafted the proclamation of independence. By means of this proclamation, Bangladesh became a people's republic.

While studying in London, I defeated Farooq Leghari by a wide margin of votes to become the first Bengali to win the post of president of the Pakistan Student Federation. Farooq Leghari later went on to become the president of Pakistan. Back in the sixties, a few of us students and friends in London formed an organisation called 'Uttarshuri' (Successor). The secret aim of this organisation was the independence of Bangladesh. At the time, the first right recorded in the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) was people's right to self-determination. It was from then that the dream of a Bangladesh state took root in my heart.

Anyway, on the basis of the proclamation of independence, on 17 April the first government of Bangladesh took oath. This first government of Bangladesh continued on until the next national election held in 1973.The proclamation of independence was the first document of Bangladesh. Until the constitution was decreed on 4 November 1972, the state was run on the basis of this proclamation.

The proclamation of independence was basically a realistic, factual deliberation and reasoning, based on which we wanted to exercise our right to self-determination. We spoke of three aspirations along with this -- equality, human dignity and social justice. These constituted the underlying values of our state.

Q :

How do you compare the state that you envisioned, with Bangladesh as it stands now, 50 years hence? What are the similarities and the dissimilarities?

All three of the values that I just mentioned about the proclamation of independence, have been damaged. All three are really extinct. As a nation, this is extremely shameful. There has been a gradual degeneration in the running of the government and the state. It is painful to read reports of women being abused and raped. What society have we created?

In recent times the scandals of a state institution is being widely discussed. This is not how it should have been. If institutions continue to break down in this manner, if the rot in society sets in, the state begins to decay. It is difficult to say how the state can be retrieved from this. The war of liberation is a major milestone for us. Just as Tajuddin Ahmad was there, so was Khandkar Mushtaque. Just as there was Nawab Sirajuddowla in the history of Bengal, there was Mir Jafar too. There was always treachery on the flip side of honour. The fact is that, it has become very unclear which side we are to empower.

Q :

After this Golden Jubilee of independence, in the context of the spirit of the Liberation War, which are the issues we should focus our attention upon for achievements in the future?

Our politics has lost direction. It will now be difficult to retrieve this from politics alone. The new upper middle class that has emerged has been built up solely on money, not on intellect or dignity. Intellectuals like Vidyasagar are not emerging in our social system, conspirators like Umichand are. These matters should be taken into cognizance.

To change this state of affairs, there needs to be a radical overhaul of our education. Education has become a commodity. There is dire need at present for an education system that expands the mind. The intellectuals had a huge contribution to the movement against Pakistan. It is vital to build up a similar social movement. There is no alternative to a renaissance, a renaissance to be ushered in by an educated society and people of strong moral character.