Constitution amendment body wants parliament to decide about caretaker issue; recommends highest punishment for state power grabber in its final report

The parliamentary special committee on constitutional amendment yesterday finalised its recommendations, leaving it to the parliament to decide whether the caretaker government system will continue or not.

It however recommended that the provision for caretaker government system should be scrapped from the constitution.

The Supreme Court earlier declared the caretaker government system unconstitutional and void, but observed that the system might be practiced to hold two more gen-

eral elections for the sake of "safety of the state and its people".

The special committee recommended restoration of the four fundamental principles of the original constitution — nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism.

The recommendation said all other principles that spring from the four core principles of the 1972 constitution will be considered as the main principles for governing the country.

The committee recommended the highest punishment for unconstitutional usurpation of state power. Aiding and abetting such a crime will be equally punishable, it said.

The Daily Star obtained a copy of the finalised constitutional amendment recommendations by the specialcommittee.

After working almost a year since July 21 last year, the special committee came up with its final 51-point recommendation which will be placed in the parliament by Wednesday, said Committee Co-chair Suranjit Sengupta.

The committee proposed to con-stitutionally acknowledge Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the father of the nation, and to include his historic March 7 speech, and his declaration of independence in the constitution.

It proposed to maintain Islam's status as the state religion, keep the Arabic phrase Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim above the preamble, and to keep allowing religion based politics in the constitution.

Two members of the committee - Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Haque Inu — however gave notes of dissent on those three proposals.

The committee proposed to mention in the constitution that followers of all other religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity will get equal rights and respect from the state.

It recommended elimina-tion of all kinds of communalism, giving any political status to any particular religion, and misuse of religion for political purposes.

It proposed to stop dis-

playing the portraits of the president and the prime minister in the offices of all government, semigovernment, autonomous, and educational institutions, and in Bangladesh foreign missions abroad.

It however suggested making it mandatory to display the portrait of Father of the Nation Bnagabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in all those places.

The recommendations will be submitted to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her final review, said sources.

SOME OTHER PROPOSALS — A ban on amending the constitution's fundamental structure.

— Scrapping of the government posts of chief adviser and advisers.

-- Reinstatement of Bangalee nationalism in the constitution. Identification of the nation as Bangalee, and citizenship as Bangladeshi.

— Introduction of a new

clause for safeguarding and developing the environment and wildlife, under which the state will protect natural resources, biodiversity, water bodies, forest, and wildlife, and preserve and develop the environment for the present and future generations.

— The state will ensure participation of and equal opportunity forwomen in all spheres of national life.

- - The state will take steps to flourish, develop and preserve the unique characteristics, regional culture, and heritage of the indigenous, ethnic minority people.

— Scrapping of clause 25 that says the state will endeavour to consolidate, preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on Islamic solidarity.

-- Increasing the number of reserved seats for women in the parliament to 50 from the current 45.