Daily Online Alochona: [mukto-mona] Emailing: Religion-based parties to face ban-- Shafique--this is a dangerous game

Monday, January 4, 2010

[mukto-mona] Emailing: Religion-based parties to face ban-- Shafique--this is a dangerous game

Dear sirs,

Assalamu Alaikum.Please see the news below.We are surprised at the statement of the Law Minister.The fifth amendment case is not over.A date has been fixed in the middle of January to hear the petitions who want to be party to the case and hearing will continue.

The Lw Minister has said and also some other present govrnment ministers that they will go back to the principles of 1972 consititution.How will they go to socialism and secularism when they are also saying that they will maintain Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim and also Islam as state religion.Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim and Secularism are totally opposite concepts.Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim ( In the name of Allah , the Merciful, the Beneficent) means all action will be as per what Allah wants whereas secularism means that all state and government action must avoid religion, Islam or other religion..The same is the position with Islam as state religion.State religion means that Islam will be observed by the state, whereas secularism means rejection of religion in state affairs.I feel such thoughts are totally inconsistent and madness.

The plan to ban Islamic and religion based parties is fascism and un-democratic.Even India has four Islamic parties, UK has Islamic parties.So many other Non-Muslim states have Islamic or religious parties.In a true democracy no party can be bannad.Even communist parties who believe in classwar are allowed in democracies.It is true that 1972 constitution made provision banning religious parties but that part of that constitution was totally undemocratic.The government should not fall in the hands of eztremists.All well-meaning people should play their part so that the state is saved from further turmoil.

Shah Abdul Hannan

Religion-based political parties of the country will be banned, said the law minister on Monday.

But the words ‘Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim’ and state religion Islam will remain in force in the constitution, said the minister.

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed’s affirmation came at a media briefing at his secretariat office, a day after the Supreme Court vacated an earlier stay on the High Court verdict that declared illegal the fifth amendment of the constitution.

He said since the Supreme Court has upheld the High Court verdict regarding the fifth amendment to the constitution, religion-based political parties will be banned

He said the government would implement the HC verdict as per the recommendations of the Bangladesh Law Commission.

Shafique Ahmed also said the matter will be sent to the law commission for its recommendations after January 18 when the SC is due to hear the leave-to-appeal petitions against the HC verdict.

He said the HC declared illegal the fifth amendment of the constitution since the amendment had legitimated the rule of martial law that suspended the constitution.

There will be no controversy regarding implementation of the High Court verdict.