UITS Law organises public lecture on Constitutional Reform in Bangladesh

Department of Law, University of Information Technology and Sciences (UITS) recently hosted a Law Lecture featuring distinguished constitutional law scholar, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ekramul Haque, who presented the keynote lecture "Constitutional Reform in Bangladesh: What Changes Do We Need to Bring?" The event was graced by UITS Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Abu Hashan Bhuiyan as Chief Guest and Professor Dr. M. Rabiul Hossain, Dean of the Faculty of Law, as Chair.

During his lecture, Professor Haque called for the need to reform the current constitution consistent with the principles of democracy, inclusivity and justice to guarantee a more equitable future for the coming generations. He supported the Constitution Reform Commission's (CRC) recommendation to revise the preamble to reflect Bangladesh's emergence through a people's war calling it a more legitimate and accurate portrayal of country's history. The core principles such as equality, human dignity, and social justice enshrined in the Proclamation of Independence ought to have been inserted in the preamble earlier as fundamental principles of constitution, he noted.

Addressing citizenship, Professor Haque endorsed replacing the term "Bangalee" with "Bangladeshi," to recognise the country's ethnic diversity. Professor Haque advocated for the integration of economic, social, and cultural rights into the binding charter of fundamental rights and freedoms to remove prevailing disparity among them. He underscored the necessity of inserting a single proportionality test to ensure that any curbs on fundamental rights and freedoms remain justifiable. The inclusion of the right of children and future generation gets special attention, as Professor Haque proposed the appointment of a dedicated commissioner to oversee and safeguard their rights as a part of implementing intergenerational justice.

Among the institutional reforms, he strongly welcomed the proposal for a bicameral legislature with a Senate elected through proportional representation and called for the formation of National Constitutional Council (NCC) comprising representatives from opposition and independent parties to ensure transparency in state functions and appointments.

The event is covered by Md. Rahul Hasan Joy, Lecturer, University of Information Technology and Sciences (UITS)