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our constitution,” he said.

Shahdeen said he remained astonished by the context in which the constitution was framed.

“In 1972, the country was war-ravaged, with no bridges, one crore refugees returning, and almost no economic activity. Even then, the constitution was drafted through careful debate, not haste,” he said.

“Nothing is flawless. The Constitution of 1972 is not flawless either. But the authoritarian rule and the arbitrariness of the past several years are not the fault of the 1972 Constitution. Previous rulers repeatedly misused it,” he said.

“The absence of the rule of law is not the fault of the law itself but of those who apply it,” he added.

Shahdeen also said 16 to 17 amendments had been made over the years and that deviation from its original spirit began within seven months through the first amendment, with a major shift occurring under the fourth amendment in 1975, which introduced the one-party Baksal system.

Referring to later changes under military rulers, Shahdeen said those who had framed the 1972 Constitution were, to a large extent, also responsible for its later deviation.

He described the July uprising as an outburst of pent-up anger built up through years of deprivation of rights, misrule, oppression, and lack of accountability.

“When our backs are against the wall, standing up in resistance is part of our national tradition,” he said, adding that the ousted Awami League regime lacked moral and legal legitimacy.

Shahdeen called the movement’s outcome the inevitable fate of autocrats.

He also criticised the lack of substantive debate in the current parliament, questioning its role if it merely approves the ordinances issued by the interim government without scrutiny.

He emphasised that the core principle of the 1972 Constitution is that all power belongs to the people and that it seeks to ensure rights by limiting institutional authority.

Shahdeen also said that when he reads the constitution, he thinks about how its framers worked at a time when there was no internet or search engine, yet they incorporated the best elements from the constitutions of different countries based on their life experiences. Even then, there was extensive debate over it, he added.

He also referred to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Six-Point movement as the first “charter of liberation” or a “first draft constitution”.

He stressed that history must be preserved carefully to avoid distortion.

Liberation War Museum Trustee Dr Sarwar Ali delivered the opening remarks at the event, while Member Secretary Mofidul Hoque presented the museum’s annual report.

The programme also featured a dance recital by artists from Nrityam Nrityashilon Kendra and a musical performance by Warda Ashraf.