Constitutional anomalies to go if elected again: Inu

If the grand alliance government comes to power again, it will remove all the anomalies in the constitution including the indigenous and secularism issues, said Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haque Inu yesterday.
“The constitution was changed by military rulers repeatedly over the previous decades. Now we need more time to remove the anomalies imposed by those amendments,” he said.
Inu was speaking at a discussion styled “Action to protect land rights of the indigenous” organised by Caritas Mymensingh Region Perlam-MJF project in the city's YWCA auditorium.
He demanded formulation of an Indigenous Rights Act to protect the rights of indigenous people and to uphold their values, cultures, norms and traditions by establishing a National Indigenous Commission.
Inu, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee for post and telecommunications, also demanded amendment to the vested property act to resolve land disputes.
Addressing the function, lawmaker Shawkat Momen Shahjahan warned that if the government failed to implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, it would again create unrest in the hills.
He also stressed the need of educating indigenous people to make them aware of their rights and to help them develop their lifestyle.
Bangladesh Adivashi Forum General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong urged the government to keep holding dialogues with the indigenous people to resolve different disputes over the indigenous issue.
Caritas Bangladesh Development Director Atul Francis Sarkar and Manusher Jonno Foundation Director (rights) Rina Roy also spoke at the function.