15-man body sans BNP formed to review constitution

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The parliament has formed a 15-member committee to review the constitution with no representation from the main opposition BNP, report agencies.
The special committee will be helmed by deputy leader of the parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury. Senior Awami League leader and head of the parliamentary standing committee on law and parliamentary affairs Suranjit Sengupta has been made co-chair.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday afternoon proposed the committee in the parliament, which was passed by voice votes.
The others who will sit on the committee are Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofael Ahmed, Abdur Razzaque, Syed Ashraful Islam, Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, Rahamat Ali, Fazle Rabbi Miah, Abdul Matin Khasru of the Awami League, forest and environment state minister Hassan Mahmood, Hasanul Haq Inu of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Rashed Khan Menon of Workers' Party and Anisul Islam Mahmud of the Jatiya Party.
The Prime Minister said the committee, if necessary, will also take suggestions from experts who may be invited at the committee meetings.
"Amendments to the Constitution are extremely necessary to consolidate the people's rights so that illegal power grabbers cannot usurp the State power and trample the rights of the people," she told the House amidst applause.
Hasina said the Awami League-led grand alliance was voted to power with more than two-thirds majority to "accomplish a historic task and we'll accomplish that.