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কারেন্ট অ্যাফেয়ার্স

Constitutional Reform, Article 70(b) Should Be Top of the Agenda

The Interim government has established a constitutional reform commission. It is now a top public demand that Article 70(b) or anti-defection law of the Constitution must be amended. This law is the main obstacle to the flourishing of parliamentary democracy and could lead to the creation of an electoral dictatorship or fascism. Moreover, it goes against the spirit of Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law. Due to Article 70(b), members of parliament (MPs), whether from the government or opposition, cannot enjoy independence and express their opinions. MPs are forced to follow their party leaders’ wishes, even if they personally believe it is wrong, unjustified or against the interests of their constituency because questioning the leader or party will risk their seats. The reasoning behind incorporating the anti-defection law into the Constitution was to strengthen and stabilise the Parliamentary government system. But, Article 70(b) is stricter than necessary.

The key to rebuilding Bangladesh

It’s all about improving the state of the economy. This is the first part of a three-part series Forrest Cookson Publish : Dhaka tribune, 30 October 2024