Jumbangla Desk: Attorney General Md. Asaduzzaman attended a hearing in the High Court on Wednesday and said that they want the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' to be removed from the constitution.

"We want the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' to be removed from the Constitution... 'democracy', not 'socialism', can be the principle of state policy," he said in a ruling hearing on the question of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

The Attorney General also said, "90 percent of the country is Muslim." Earlier there was constant trust and faith in Allah. I want it the way it was before.”

The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed on 30 June 2011 Through this, several issues of the 1972 constitution come back After 1975, the constitution was amended several times The proposal changed and the state religion was made Islam. The preamble and eight articles of the Constitution call for full trust and faith in Almighty Allah. By the Fifteenth Amendment, the Preamble and Article Eight of the Constitution omitted the word "full trust and faith in Almighty God".

Bismillahir-Rahmanir Rahim is the preamble of the current constitution. (In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful, the Most Merciful Creator). And Islam has been kept as the state religion It has been said that the state religion of the republic is Islam, but the state will ensure equality and equal rights in the observance of other religions including Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity.

The governing principles of the state are: Nationalism, Socialism, Democracy and Secularism.

More changes came in the constitution through the fifteenth amendment Through this amendment, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was also recognized as the father of the nation. Caretaker government system was abolished The number of seats reserved for women in the National Parliament was increased from 45 to 50. Besides, after Article 7, Article 7 (a) and 7 (b) were added to the constitution to prevent the usurpation of state power by extra-constitutional methods.

Challenging the fifteenth amendment, five people including Badiul Alam Majumdar, editor of Citizen for Good Governance, filed the writ on August 18. After the High Court ruling, the hearing is going on now.

The constitution still has state religion. And in the preamble there is Bismillahir Rahmani Rahim. Dhaka University Law Department Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Curzon thinks, "There is no need to bring back the words of full trust and faith in the Almighty Allah again and again." Already by making Islam the state religion, a kind of discrimination has been created among the citizens.”

"Religion should be kept separate from the state," he said. The state has no religion. Muslims can pray. Hindus can worship. Can the state pray? What can the state worship? If everyone has equal rights as a citizen, then why not be equal about religion? In fact, religion belongs to everyone, the state belongs to everyone. The state will run secularly. And if 100% of the people of a country are Muslims, then it is a different matter."

Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Curzon said, "If we look at our Islamic religion, we will see that there are also secular practices." The Madinah Sanad issued when the Holy Prophet (PBUH) migrated to Madinah protected the religious freedom of every religious group. If Muslims understand the rationality of Mahavir, then secularism is the best way to run the state," he said.

In response to a question, he said, "Now the state religion is Islam. The Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Parishad has said many times that it has made them second class citizens. This is what they are demanding to change. If we make one religion, caste or group superior by saying that all citizens are equal, don't others become inferior?”

Meanwhile, Advocate Dipankar Ghosh, organizing secretary of Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council said, "What is in the constitution now, there is state religion and there is also secularism. We call it the gold stone bowl. A mess. Now if they do that again then there is no solution."

He said, "If you look at the Declaration of Independence, Equity, Equality, Social Justice and Human Dignity." Now if one religion is given priority then those of other religions become second and third class. But then the spirit of the liberation war no longer exists."

And Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Mahbub Shafiq said, "These matters do not go with the spirit of the Liberation War. Constitution and religion are two different things. No one becomes a Muslim or a Hindu by the constitution. We know religion through Quran, Vedas or any other scriptures. It has nothing to do with the Constitution.”

"But of course the people of the country will decide what will be in the constitution and what will not be there. But my point is that state and religion should be kept separate and distinct.”

However, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal said, "The fifteenth amendment is completely illegal." It is a parliamentary fraud. So it needs to be cancelled. If it is repealed, it will revert back to the Constitution.”

BNP Joint Secretary General and Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon said, "What the Attorney General has said is his submission. This is the statement of the state. We have our own party position.”

"We do not want any amendment that would make people of any religion feel discriminated against." We have to remember that 90 percent of Bangladesh is Muslim. But people of other religions are also citizens of Bangladesh. They also have equal rights They cannot be discriminated against. Regarding religion, we are in the same position as what is in the constitution. We stand for equal dignity and security for all religions.”

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