DHAKA: The parliamentary special committee for constitutional amendment has already done the preparatory work and will hold brainstorming meetings early September to finalise the amendment proposals incorporating major changes in the country’s basic laws and principles.

Competent sources dropped a broad hint about the progress in the cardinal national task after a committee meeting Tuesday at the Sangsad Bhaban.

“The committee will also review its reports on the proposed amendments before finalising in September,” said Suranjit Sengupta, co-chairman of the committee, in a press briefing at the Parliament Media Centre after the meeting.

With committee chair and deputy leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair, the committee meeting set September 4, 5 and 6 for holding three meetings for a reappraisal of the reports for finalising the amendments.

Members of the committee Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Abdul Matin Khasru, Advocate Rahmat Ali, Dr. Hasan Mahamood, Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and Advocate Fazle Rabbi, Anisul Islam Mahamood and Rashed Khan Menon were present at the meeting.

Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed and Law Commission Chairman Justice Mohammed Abdur Rashid also attended the meet to make their expert opinions about the recast of the much-scratched national constitution.

The committee was formed on July 21, consisting of only the ruling Awami League-led grand-alliance lawmakers, as BNP declined to nominate their representative following an invitation from the ruling party.

The committee is set to recommend going back to the core constitutional principles, stopping usurpation of state power, reestablishing people’s sovereign power and preserving spirit of the liberation war through executing the highest court’s verdict.

The amendments will be approved after the placing of the committee’s recommendations in Parliament, giving the severely scratched basic law book of the nation a new look through omissions and commissions in line with the Supreme Court judgment invalidating the Fifth Amendment that had ratified martial-law regimes and their doings since the August 15, 1975 bloody coup.

BDST: 1600 HRS, AUGUST 24, 2010.