Dhaka, Mar 25 (bdnews24.com) — Demanding that 'Bismillah' be dropped from the preamble of the constitution, Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon has said it will be contradictory to secularism if the charter is amended retaining Bismillah.
"Whatever has so far been done with Bismillah and the state religion has been done with a political motive," he told a discussion at Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Friday.
Menon, also a member of the ruling Grand Alliance, he said, "Islam itself doesn't say that there has to be a state religion."
Mentioning that the current government's aim is to restore the spirit of the 1972 constitution, Menon said, "Now it's time to return to the ethos of the Liberation War. If we really want to do that, it won't be wise to retain Bismillah."
Speaking on the occasion, Law Commission chairman M Shah Alam said, "Bismillah can be retained in a way that won't contradict secularism. The government and parliament should decide the matter."
He alleged that a vested quarter was committing misdeeds in the name of religion.
In Nov 1977, BNP founder Gen Ziaur Rahman through a military proclamation had amended the 1972 constitution and inserted the aforesaid terms in the preamble of the constitution.
In case of replacement of the present preamble with the 1972 one, 'Bismillahir--Rahmanir-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the Merciful) is supposed to go.
The present government has taken initiatives to amend the constitution after the High Court repealed the Fifth Amendment brought by Ziaur Rahman.
In this connection, a special parliamentary committee headed by deputy leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury has been formed.
On Feb 9, committee co-chairman Suranjit Sengupta said, "We [committee members] have unanimously decided to restore the preamble of the 1972 constitution,"
Suranjit on Feb 11 said 'Bismillahir--Rahmanir-Rahim' will not be removed from the constitution.
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