BNP's senior lawmaker Moudud Ahmed on Thursday said any major changes in the constitution without consulting the opposition would not be accepted.
'We reject the draft constitution. It has not been approved either in the cabinet or by parliament. It is said that it is a draft which means there is no constitution,' he said.
'The court has cancelled the 5th Amendment. A court ruling does not necessarily become an act. If it were so, extra-judicial killings could not have taken place after the court gave a ruling against it. They have printed a constitution in the name of court ruling. But it contains 31 changes in addition to what the court directed. Who gave you the authority to change them,' Moudud asked.
'Mr Suranjit did not even sign the constitution in 1972. Now you have become the guardian of constitution,' he said.
Moudud said, 'We may have made many mistakes. But why should you do the same? You should rather take us to a developed situation.'
Moudud, who act as de facto deputy leader of the opposition, came down heavily on the government for allowing transit to India and borrowing Tk 100 crore from Indian Exim Bank.
'I would not say more on transit. You allowed them transit and we opposed. But I have serious objection to the borrowing of the amount at such high interest rate. It all is against the country's interests,' he said.
Moudud asked the government to scrap the deal. 'If you do not scrap it, we will cancel it if we come to power again,' he said.
He said the International Crimes Tribunal was not up to international standards. He said the government was delaying the trial as it lacked preparations and efficiency to carry out the trial. 'Why do you keep them in jail without holding trial? Why Salauddin Quader is not allowed to attend parliament proceedings?'
'This government's move to hold war crimes trial is nothing but a farce to hide its failure,' he said.
Moudud demanded trial of the policymakers of the military-governed interim administration. 'Try Moeen Uddin, Iajuddin, Fakhruddin, Masududdin, Bari, and Amin by constituting an all-party probe body and we would extend all-out support. If you do not do it, it would be clear who were behind your assumption of power,' he said.
He also asked the government to drop all the cases filed against the opposition leaders. 'It would change the country's political situation overnight,' he said.
Senior BNP lawmaker and former speaker, Jamiruddin Sircar, criticised the move to amend the constitution in line with the court verdict. 'The absolute authority to amend the constitution lies with the sovereign parliament. If the judiciary takes the responsibility of parliament, the existence of parliament comes under question,' he said.
Jamir also questioned the formation of the International Crimes Tribunal. 'The leader of the nation [Sheikh Mujibur Rahman] had pardoned 97 thousand war criminals and their local collaborators. He had said the local collaborators would be tried under regular laws. Now if you try them in the International Crimes Tribunal, you would dishonour your leader,' he said.
Jamir asked the speaker to make arrangement for the detained BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury's participation in parliament sittings. He cited instances of participation of HM
Ershad, Anwar Hossain Manju and KM Obaidur Rahman who were allowed to speak in the house coming from jail.
He also criticised a foreign journalist's testifying in the court. He said Taher was allowed all the benefits an accused was supposed to get. 'Taher's attorneys did not say that Zia had influenced the trial. Former prime minister Ataur Rahman Khan and former Supreme Court judge Abdur Rouf had defended him,' Jamir said.
BNP lawmaker Majibar Rahman Sarwar said conspiracies were on to distort history through High Court. 'The Awami League does not observe November 7, but they now rejoice in Taher case,' he said.
'If America and Hillary Clinton speak over Yunus issue, it is seen as interference. What happens when a foreign journalist is invited testify,' he asked.
Read the original story on the daily New Age