KHULNA: BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed Sunday said democracy returned in the country through the fifth and seventh constitutional amendments, which were enacted in the process of transition from two martial-law regimes.
“Democracy was revived in the country through the fifth and seventh constitutional amendments. But, the government is criticizing former President Ziaur Rahman who was the pioneer of introducing multiparty democracy in the country,” the former law minister of the past BNP government told journalists after securing bail in a sedition case here.
The Fifth Amendment was brought by general Ziaur Rahman’s government for transition to democratic dispensation from the martial law regimes that had started off with the August 15, 1975 coup that had topped the government of independence leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
And the Seventh Amendment was done for transition to democratic order from the military rule of general HM Ershad, who had taken over from the BNP government of stand-in president Justice Abdus Sattar in 1982 after the assassination of President Zia the year before.
Barrister Moudud Ahmed was in the cabinets of both the former army chiefs during the passage of both the amendments by parliament in the transitional processes.
Earlier, Moudud reached the CMM Court at about 10:25am and left the court premises with party leaders and activists at about 11:45am.
Police administration strengthened security measures in the morning on the court premises. Members of riot police, Armed Police Battalion and plainclothes police were deployed in the area.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Barakuzzaman issued the bail order after the top BNP leader appeared before the court in person with bail prayers.
Additional Public Prosecutor Advocate MM Sajjad Ali filed the case with the CMM Court on August 8. According to case statement, Moudud did not protest Jamaat central leader and former MP Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher’s “provocative” speech against the government at a function on August 4.
Hundreds of lawyers defended Moudud and pleaded for his bail during the hearing in the jam-packed court.
BDST: 1500 HRS, AUG 29, 2010
