Calls for new constitution a denial of Liberation War spirit: Selim

*    We did not fight in the 1971 Liberation War for 'Banglastan' or an 'Independent East Pakistan'

*    No legitimate ground now to form a 'Constituent Assembly'
*    Running country by Ordinances as 'temporary Decrees' not democratic

In a sharply worded critique of current political narratives, former President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and a leading political figure Muzahidul Islam Selim claimed that they didn't fight in 1971 for 'Banglastan' or an 'Independent East Pakistan'. He termed the demand of 'July proclamation' as 'indemnity' and ruling the state by Ordinances as 'temporary Decrees' 

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Observer, Selim said, "Reforms need a solid foundation built through people's participation. Without public mandate through free and fair elections, any change is hollow. Those who propose reforms by decree do not believe in real change. They are misleading people. You can't build on the roof, you need a foundation. Without that, the building will collapse," 
He condemned calls for drafting a new constitution, terming such proposals as "absurd" and "a direct denial of the Liberation War's spirit and sacrifices."

"Writing a new constitution or amending the existing one must be done with people's active involvement. If we exclude the people, no change will be permanent. Decrees cannot replace democratic processes. Changes made by force or imposition will never sustain," Selim asserted.

Refuting the notion that the current Constitution has enabled authoritarianism, he argued that the issue lies not with the Constitution itself but with the consistent deviation from its core principles. "It is said that Sheikh Hasina became autocratic based on this existing Constitution. That is a complete lie. She became autocratic because she separated herself from the spirit of the Constitution. This departure started with the introduction of the one-party system through BAKSHAL, continued through military dictatorships and was compounded by undemocratic decrees," Selim said.

He contended that instead of scrapping the Constitution and drafting a new one, efforts should focus on restoring it to its original spirit by repealing the unlawful amendments made during successive regimes. "No new Constitution has been written in these 54 years of our independence. What happened instead is a dissection of the Constitution through ill-intentioned amendments and martial orders," he explained.

Selim pointed to the foundational values enshrined in the original 1972 Constitution are equity, human dignity, and social justice, which he described as the embodiment of the ultimate goals of the Liberation War. "The Constitution didn't emerge from one person's head overnight. It was a reflection of a long and arduous national struggle including the Language Movement, the Six Points, the Eleven Points movement of students and the aspirations of crores of people," he explained.

He was particularly critical of proposals to form a new 'Gana Parishad' (Constituent Assembly) to draft a fresh constitution. Drawing a historical parallel, he said that the original Gana Parishad was formed during the Liberation War as a response to the Pakistani regime's denial of electoral mandates. "There is no legitimate ground today to form such a body. Back then, we created a constituent assembly because the Pakistani rulers didn't allow us to execute public mandates. But today, any attempt to bypass elections and form a new assembly is both undemocratic and historically dishonest," Selim argued.

He accused that the advocates of a new constitution of harboring ulterior motives. "Those who are desperate for a new constitution seem to believe that our war of liberation was a 'mistake'. They want to reverse history. If you reverse the war of liberation, you end up with Pakistan again. But we didn't fight for a 'Banglastan' or an 'Independent East Pakistan.' Our war was never about separatism. It was a fight for justice, democracy and equality," he uttered passionately.

Selim also challenged the legitimacy of those invoking the July proclamation in support of a new constitutional order. He believes their aim is to seek indemnity for actions and to prevent prosecution by a future elected government. "Their desperation stems from fear. Without a new proclamation or constitution, they could be held accountable. This is not about reform, it's about escaping justice," he contended.

He concluded by asserting that genuine reforms must be rooted in public consensus and democratic legitimacy, not top-down impositions.