DHAKA: Legal experts at the special parliamentary committee meeting Thursday suggested amending the national constitution on the basis of consensus of all political parties for a durable change.

After Thursday’s consultation with the experts, the committee decided to take opinions of the apex-court lawyers who worked in getting the 5th amendment annulled before preparing a re-script of the constitution.

Co-chairman of the committee Suranjit Sengupta disclosed the decision after the extended meeting of the panel where the experts were invited to place their opinions for lasting and acceptable changes to the Constitution.   

The fifth meeting of the committee was held in the cabinet room of the parliament with Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair.

“We will amend the constitution unitedly and cooperation of all parliament members is expected in this regard,” Sengupta told reporters.   

Urging the main opposition BNP also to give their opinion he said, “We hope the party would behave responsibly in this regard. The door for them to give opinions is always open.”
 
Committee members and five of the eight invited legal experts attended the meeting.

Of the experts’ panel, Justice Syed Amirul Islam, Attorney-General Mahabube Alam, former Attorney-General Barrister Rafique-ul-Haque, Advocate Towfique Neowaz and Barrister Fazle Noor Tapos MP attended the meeting.

The committee set October 2 for the next meeting.

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.

It was assigned to the task of working out constitutional changes in the light of the Supreme Court verdict annulling the Fifth Amendment, which had ratified the doings of martial law regimes since the August 15, 1975 coup and brought major changes in the fundamental state principles.

Later on, the Seventh Amendment was also struck down by the High Court, declaring all extra-constitutional takeovers illegal.    

BDST: 1654 HRS, SEPT 23, 2010