Govt open to reform changes Says Law Minister
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman on Monday said the government wanted to move forward with reforms and needed everyone’s cooperation to reach a rational point.
He also said the government welcomed constructive criticism and recognised citizens’ constitutional right to criticise it.
Speaking at a discussion titled “Beyond the Ballot: Between Promise and Performance”, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at CIRDAP Auditorium in the capital, Md Asaduzzaman said criticism by political parties was a normal feature of a democratic system.
“The government is taking constructive criticism positively. Citizens have the right to criticise the government, and it is the government’s constitutional responsibility to ensure this right. Political parties will carry out their programmes and criticise the government – this is a normal part of a democratic system,” he said.
The minister said society needed to develop a culture where people could express their views without fear.
He said efforts were being made to move away from past practices of harassing or arresting writers, journalists, cartoonists and people from different walks of life for expressing their opinions.
Md Asaduzzaman said the government did not regard laws or policies as final or unchangeable.
“Government does not consider any issue relating to laws and policies as final or unchangeable.
If it is found after implementation that any law needs amendment, the government will remain open to making necessary changes. Laws are enacted to meet people’s needs and can be amended according to those needs,” he added.
He also discussed the Human Rights Commission Act and the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Act, saying extensive consultations and scrutiny had been undertaken while drafting the laws.
The law minister said consideration had been given to distinguishing between enforced disappearance as an ordinary crime and as a widespread and systematic crime when determining judicial jurisdiction.
At the same time, he said efforts had been made to establish effective mechanisms for investigating allegations of human rights violations and ensuring accountability.
The discussion, chaired by CGS President Zillur Rahman, focused on the implementation of political parties’ electoral pledges following the election, public expectations, political accountability and good governance.
Participants also discussed ways to make democratic institutions more effective and various aspects of state reform.
Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Zahir Uddin Swapon, Gono Forum President Subrata Chowdhury, Jatiya Party (JP) Secretary General Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary and senior journalist Sohrab Hassan, among others, spoke at the event.
Representatives of political parties, civil society, human rights organisations, the media and the legal profession also took part in the discussion.
