BNP Standing Committee member Hafizuddin Ahmed on Thursday said Bangladesh’s 1972 Constitution reflects the aspirations of people as it is a product of the Liberation War, not of the Awami League.
He made the remarks at a discussion held at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the 33rd founding anniversary of the Nationalist Freedom Fighters’ Party.
After the Liberation War, Hafizuddin said, they had no personal desire and ambition for political power, which allowed the Awami League to assume power with India’s support.
According to him, the Constitution drafted in 1972 embodies the aspirations of ordinary citizens and the Awami League’s presence during its formulation was incidental. “So, the Constitution should not be regarded as the Awami League’s creation.”
Hafizuddin, a veteran freedom fighter, criticised the current demand to discard Bangladesh’s 1972 constitution, calling it ‘completely pointless’.
Speaking on the need for a free and fair election under an interim government, he said, “Those who have never witnessed the Liberation War claim the constitution must be thrown out and the July Charter placed above it. In 1971, we fought for democracy, yet it has still not been fully realised.”
Hafizuddin also recalled that before the March 25, 1971 military crackdown, Tajuddin Ahmed had urged Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to declare independence. “He refused, saying he believed in an undivided Pakistan,” he said.
Hafizuddin stressed that around the world, Constitutions are formulated by elected representatives, including in Bangladesh, and this principle must continue in the future, as no unelected people can amend the Constitution.
He reiterated the need for a free and fair election under an interim government, stating that only elected representatives should decide the future form of Bangladesh’s Constitution.
People in Bangladesh used to voting for individuals, not symbols: Hafizuddin
He expressed concern that the current generation, which has never witnessed the Liberation War, fails to recognise the sacrifices made, and thus some advocate scrapping the Constitution and placing the July Accord above it, which he called entirely baseless.
He reminded his audience that the 1971 war was fought to establish democracy—an ideal that has yet to be fully realised.