PM slams call for constitutional change

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has lashed out at 'civil society' members who are calling for amending the Constitution and bringing 'balance of power' between the President and the Prime Minister, report agencies.
"While discussing, some people don't see any democracy [in the country], some are pushing for forming Constitution Reform Commission for constitutional amendment, some are saying many things, when I see these faces some of them were once advisers to the military dictators, some did job with them, some sucked their feet and some begged their mercy. At that time, the door of their conscience was shut," she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a function marking the laying of the foundation stone of the Tatthaya Bhaban (Information Building) on the premises of DFP (Department of Film and Publication) at city's Circuit House Road.
She asked, "They did not have this conscience at that time. It seems that the door of their conscience was shut at that time."
A number of speakers on Tuesday, at a programme organised by 'Udbigno Nagarik Samaj' called for the constitutional amendment and suggested forming a commission to that end.
The proposed commission will also seek to work on how to bring checks and balances between the power of the President and the Prime Minister. The group made the recommendations after a roundtable titled "Checks and balances of power to achieve fuller democracy" at the capital's Brac Centre Inn.
Former Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, former TIB executive director Manzoor Hasan, former caretaker government advisers M Hafizuddin Khan and Rasheda K Chowdhury, Executive Director of Policy Research Institute Ahsan H Mansur, Shujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, eminent jurist Shahdeen Malik and local government expert Tofail Ahmed were present at the programme.