Shafiq slams Ershad for 'state religion'
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Law Minister Barrister Shafiq Ahmed has slammed Jatiya Party (JP) chief and former President HM Ershad for including Islam in the Constitution during his 1981-1990 regime, reports bdnews24.com.
"The amendment to include religion was contrary to the main principle, secularism, of the country's 1972 Constitution," Shafiq Ahmed said Saturday.
Former autocrat Ershad, now a ruling party ally, in a controversial eighth amendment to the Constitution in 1982, attempted to set up High Court (HC) divisions in all divisional towns and also included Islam in the Constitution.
On whether the incumbent government would repeal the amendment, he said: "The government is now only two and a half months old. We should not make any comment now. Let's wait and see."
Shafiq also said the process of war crimes trials was likely to start this month.
The minister was speaking at a scholarship awards ceremony organised by the Greater Comilla Association at the National Press Club auditorium.
In his address, Shafiq asked educationists to present the "true history" of the Liberation War.
"We should tell the true history of the Liberation War to the new generation. We have to present the reality, as well, of people who collaborated with the Pakistan army in looting, arson and killing of intellectuals, " he said.
Shafiq also stressed the necessity of modernisation of the madrasah curriculum. "We have to create employment for the madrasah students by modernising the education system."
"It will not be wise to keep them outside development activities," he said.
There was no scope for confusion on the government's position on madrasahs, he said.
"The amendment to include religion was contrary to the main principle, secularism, of the country's 1972 Constitution," Shafiq Ahmed said Saturday.
Former autocrat Ershad, now a ruling party ally, in a controversial eighth amendment to the Constitution in 1982, attempted to set up High Court (HC) divisions in all divisional towns and also included Islam in the Constitution.
On whether the incumbent government would repeal the amendment, he said: "The government is now only two and a half months old. We should not make any comment now. Let's wait and see."
Shafiq also said the process of war crimes trials was likely to start this month.
The minister was speaking at a scholarship awards ceremony organised by the Greater Comilla Association at the National Press Club auditorium.
In his address, Shafiq asked educationists to present the "true history" of the Liberation War.
"We should tell the true history of the Liberation War to the new generation. We have to present the reality, as well, of people who collaborated with the Pakistan army in looting, arson and killing of intellectuals, " he said.
Shafiq also stressed the necessity of modernisation of the madrasah curriculum. "We have to create employment for the madrasah students by modernising the education system."
"It will not be wise to keep them outside development activities," he said.
There was no scope for confusion on the government's position on madrasahs, he said.