DHAKA: BNP leader barrister Moudud Ahmed said it is not possible for any government to restore the original constitution of 1972, as he thinks the people will stood to the reversal.

“The ruling Awami League would not be in power if they return to ’72 constitution without ‘Bismillah-Ar-Rahman-Ar-Rahim and Islam as state religion,” warned the opposition party’s standing committee member at a roundtable in the city Saturday.

Central Committee of Deshnetri Sangskritik Parishad organised the meeting at Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium.

The former law minister forewarned that the government would face political upheaval in the country if it tried to restore the ’72 constitution.

Moudud said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier said the government would form an all-party parliamentary committee this week to make changes to the constitution, whereas Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta said the government would form the committee with Awami League-led grand party partners.”  

He said,” The government is implementing an agenda of barbarism, leading the country towards anarchy.”

Moudud told the function that instead of calling hartal, BNP is thinking about alternative programmes to protest the government move.

“BNP will not hold any programme to hinder the development of the country,” he said, indicating a shift from shutdown.

Among others, organizing secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan Mahila Dal Helen Jerin Khan, Shahjahan Mia Samrat of Krishak Dal and Bogra district Mahila Dal president Lovely Rahman also spoke at the meeting with advisor of Deshnetri Sangskritik Parishad TM Giashuddin in the chair.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam in another programme Saturday said Jamaat-e-Islami politics would be banned on the basis of the court verdict declaring the Fifth Constitution Amendment illegal, once the government gets copy of the judgment in hand.

The Supreme Court has recently declared the Fifth Constitution Amendment illegal, paving the way for the new Awami League-led centre-left government to ban Islamic political groups in course of time, legal experts said. This will also help the Government restore the 1972 Constitution founded on secular spirit and values of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

BDST: 08:20 HRS, JULY 17, 2010.