Constitution must be amended to implement July Charter, no alternative: Chief Whip

Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni on Friday said amending the Constitution was unavoidable for implementing the July National Charter, insisting that the government would carry out the charter in full.

“There is no alternative to amending the Constitution,” Nurul Islam told a press conference at the Jatiya Sangsad Media Centre following the conclusion of the third session of the 13th parliament.

He said the government’s position on the charter was clear “down to every full stop, comma and semicolon” and that it would be implemented in its entirety.

The charter was signed at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad, he said, adding that BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had committed to its implementation.

“The government will implement the July Charter 100 percent,” he said.

Nurul Islam acknowledged concerns from the opposition that constitutional amendments required to implement the charter could subsequently be challenged before the Supreme Court. But he said that possibility did not remove the need for amendments.

“If reforms are to be carried out, the Constitution has to be amended,” he said.

Referring to Bangladesh’s constitutional history, Nurul Islam said the Constitution, adopted in 1972, had been amended several times. He also pointed to India, where the Constitution has undergone numerous amendments.

The chief whip also said the government was reviewing 101 memorandums of understanding and agreements signed with India under the previous Sheikh Hasina administration.

“We are discussing the agreements — all of them, the 101 MoUs — and you will get the outcome very soon,” he said in response to a question about the agreement allowing Indian vessels to use Chattogram and Mongla ports and whether it could be scrapped.

Nurul Islam said Bangladesh wanted relations with all countries, including its neighbours, but would give greater importance to countries where Bangladesh’s interests were greater while ensuring the country received “due respect.”

He also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had been invited to attend the BRICS summit in India in Bangladesh’s capacity as BIMSTEC chair, rather than through a personal invitation.

The chief whip said the third session of parliament, which ended Thursday, lasted nine working days, during which six bills were introduced and passed. A total of 1,678 questions were answered under different parliamentary rules, including 15 answered by the prime minister.

Among the legislation passed were laws concerning the National Human Rights Commission and the prevention and remedy of enforced disappearances. Nurul Islam said stakeholders, lawyers, people associated with the judiciary, journalists and 16 ambassadors had been consulted before the bills were finalised.

He said penalties in the legislation were made tougher than those contained in the preceding ordinances, including provisions for the death penalty.

Nurul Islam also highlighted an amendment to the Transfer of Property Act that allows parents who transfer or donate property to their children to retain the right to enjoy it during their lifetime. He said the provision was intended to protect elderly parents who could otherwise be left without support after transferring their assets.

On parliamentary committees, he said opposition lawmakers had been included in 24 of the 39 ministry-related standing committees, slightly more than their proportional representation. Deputy Leader of the Opposition Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has been appointed chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

On the economy, Nurul Islam said the government had repaid $2.05 billion over the past five months against debts left by the Hasina administration, stressing that the money came from taxpayers.

Addressing criticism over electricity and gas shortages, he said building a new power plant typically takes two to two and a half years and that generation capacity could not be increased immediately.

He also criticised capacity payments and indemnity provisions introduced in the power sector under the Hasina government, saying some plants had received payments despite not generating electricity. The previous government’s indemnity provisions had since been repealed, he added.