No alternative to rewriting constitution
To repair the democratic institutions of the state, there is no option other than rewriting the constitution, even if it requires a constitutional assembly, said Prof Ali Riaz yesterday.
He said the former Awami League government destroyed the state institutions to maintain its hold on power, and without strengthening these institutions, democratic reconstruction is impossible.
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"But in this situation, there is hardly any scope to amend the constitution. So, my personal opinion is to rewrite the constitution," said Ali Riaz, a distinguished professor of politics and government at Illinois State University, during a press conference organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at a city hotel.
The responsibility of addressing these ongoing critical issues does not lie solely with the government but also with citizens, who must act in the best interest of future generations, he said.
At the event, Prof Riaz said CGS plans to hold a series of dialogues titled "Democratic Reconstruction" over the next five months.
These dialogues will be held to gather insights and recommendations from civil society, intellectuals, and experts across various sectors to establish a sustainable democracy and ensure justice in the country, he added.
A total of eight dialogues will be held in Dhaka, with four additional sessions in Chattorgram, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Khulna, according to CGS.
The dialogues will focus on eight key topics -- the constitution, ensuring justice for victims of human rights violations and serious legal breaches, the judiciary, civil administration, constitutional bodies, law enforcement agencies (including intelligence agencies), economic policies (including the banking sector and foreign loans), and the media.
Addressing these topics is essential for rebuilding democracy, said Prof Riaz, adding that a rushed election without tackling these fundamental issues would be ineffective.
In reply to a query, Prof Riaz said there are limitations in amending the constitution. He rather suggested that there might be options to reconstruct it instead.
Zillur Rahman, executive director of CGS, said, "We have been working on how the state can reinforce its democratic institutions."
He also expressed hope that these dialogues will play a crucial role in shaping the country's democratic future.
Addressing the media, Zillur Rahman said, "Regardless of what we did in the past, let us be united now and work with due responsibility in this new situation. We should work to take mass media to a respective position so that no one can call it 'puppet media'."
"As journalists, we should act accordingly so that no one can file a case against us or put handcuffs on our hands in any changeover situations," he added.
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