Special body sits today to review constitution

The special committee of parliament for constitutional amendment holds its maiden meeting today to start reviewing the constitution and prepare proposals for amendments.
Co-chair of the committee Suranjit Sengupta yesterday said they would also carefully examine the implications of the Supreme Court's verdict, which declared the constitution's fifth amendment illegal.
The High Court in 2005 declared the Fifth Amendment to the constitution illegal and later the Supreme Court Appellate Division early this year upheld the HC ruling with some modifications. A copy of the Supreme Court's ruling was released Tuesday evening.
"We will examine all consequences of both the verdicts. A study group might be formed to this end," Suranjit told The Daily Star.
Suranjit, also chief of the parliamentary standing committee on the law justice and parliamentary affairs ministry, said the Supreme Court in its verdict also recommended taking punitive actions against those responsible for declaring martial law and suspending the constitution.
"A law should be enacted to ensure punishment. The committee will be considering recommending that the House introduce a law to this effect," he said.
He said at the first meeting the committee would also decide its code of procedure for functioning.
Formed on July 21 without representation of opposition parties like BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, the 15 member special committee led by Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury has already declared its six aims and objectives.
The aims and objectives of the review and amendment committee are: restoration of the people's sovereign power; upholding and preservation of the spirit of the Liberation War; implementation of ruling Awami League-led grand alliance's electoral pledges; realisation of the people's mandate expressed in the last parliamentary election; implementation of the apex court's verdict that declared the fifth amendment illegal; and blocking the way for usurpation of state power.