Adding an extra layer to the ongoing diplomatic strain between India and Bangladesh, the Constitution Reforms Commission has submitted its recommendations to interim government chief Mohammad Yunus dropping secularism, socialism and nationalism from the state principles.
The changes suggested by the Commission, headed by Ali Riaz, have triggered serious concern for India as the recommendations particularly eliminate the principle of secularism from the preamble Bangladesh Constitution.
During a high court hearing, Bangladesh’s attorney general Mohammad Asazzaman also called for recommendations by the Commission citing that 90% of the country’s 170 million population are Muslims. The hearing pertained to a writ petition challenging the validity of the 15th amendment, enacted by the previous Awami League government in 2011.
The amendment made several changes, including secularism as a state principle.
The Indian envoys and intelligence agencies deployed in Bangladesh alerted the Union government pointing out that the changes in Bangladesh’s constitution may result in India having a hostile neighbour in the east.
“The three principles are among the four enshrined as fundamental principles of state police in Bangladesh’s constitution. In the new proposals, only one remains unchanged, which is democracy. The Commission has proposed five state principles which are equality, human dignity, social injustice, pluralism and democracy which, Yunus said, reflect the people’s aspirations during the 2024 mass upsurge resulting in Sheikh Hasina’s fall. The replacement of secularism by pluralism is our major concern,” said an officer of the central Intelligence Bureau (IB).
The officer pointed out that the impact of “pluralism” in Bangladesh’s Constituency will depend on how the state will allow the role of religion in the public sphere.
“In secularism, a government keeps religion out of the public sphere. However, pluralism allows multiple religions to have a place in the public sphere. The interim government’s role during the post-Hasina tenure does not give the impression that all religions in Bangladesh will enjoy equal rights in the public sphere. Minorities have been facing large-scale atrocities by the majority community who are Muslims and Bangladesh government’s role to protect minorities is not at all positive,” said the IB officer.
Citing an example, the officer said when more than 2,200 incidents of violence against minorities took place within the fortnight of Hasina’s fall on August 5, the Bangladesh government claimed only 20 incidents were because of religion.
Indian diplomats in Bangladesh also expressed scepticism regarding the suggestion to replace secularism with pluralism.
“Bangladesh has already established a direct maritime route with Pakistan, our hostile neighbour in the western front, for the first time since its liberation in 1971. Pakistan is an Islamic country. We anticipate that Bangladesh may follow the footprints of Pakistan that it had left in its amputated limb in 1971,” said an official in the Indian High Commission, Dhaka.
The Commission has also recommended the formation of a bicameral parliament with a lower house named the National Assembly and an upper house named the Senate with 105 and 400 seats respectively. The Commission’s report has suggested both the proposed houses will have a term of four years, instead of the existing five-year term of the Parliament.
