Bangladesh’s Attorney General Wants to Erase Secularism From the Constitution

The Attorney General of Bangladesh, Md Asaduzzaman, has proposed substantial revisions to the Constitution, advocating for the removal of the term “secular” due to the predominantly Muslim population of 90%. He presented his arguments during a court hearing on the legality of the 15th Amendment before Justices Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury.

Asaduzzaman asserted that the current constitutional framework, which includes Articles 2A and 9, contradicts the principles of democracy and promotes authoritarianism. He argued that constitutional amendments should uphold democratic principles and avoid undermining the rule of law.The Attorney General of Bangladesh, Mohammad Asaduzzaman called for substantial amendments to the Constitution of Bangladesh and suggested the removal of key terms from it, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.

Asaduzzaman suggested the removal of key provisions such as socialism, Bengali nationalism, secularism, and the designation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as “Father of the Nation”, according to UNB.

The remarks were made during the fifth day of hearings at the High Court on the legality of Bangladesh’s 15th Constitutional Amendment.

Addressing Article 8 of the Constitution, Asaduzzaman argued that socialism and secularism do not reflect the realities of a nation where 90% of the population is Muslim.

He advocated for reinstating the original phrasing, which emphasised unwavering faith in Allah. He also questioned the relevance of Bengali nationalism in Article 9, calling it inconsistent with modern democratic principles, UNB reported.

According to Dhaka Tribune, the 15th Amendment, which was passed in Bangladesh’s Parliament on June 30, 2011, recognized Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation abolished the caretaker government system, and increased the reserved seats for women in Parliament from 45 to 50.