Bangladesh is far away from the four fundamental principles of its constitution, speakers said at a seminar yesterday.

Titled "State Thoughts at Constituent Assembly Debate", the seminar was jointly organised by Dhaka University's law department and law faculty at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Hall. The session marked the department's birth centenary and the golden jubilee of the independence of Bangladesh.

"Among the fundamental principles, nationalism was the base, socialism was the destination, democracy was the means and secularism was the catalyst," said Prof Asif Nazrul, chairperson of the department, while

presenting the keynote paper.

Speaking of the constituent assembly debate that decided the four principles, Nazrul said every member of the then government was aware of opposition leaders' rights. "They heard all of their objections and respected them. But we all know how the situation is today," he said.

Barrister Amirul Islam, one of the members of the constituent assembly, said, "That proclamation has a citizen's oath which should be read by all students from the primary school to universities to understand its values."

Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, Director of DU's Centre for Genocide Studies and Lawmaker Aroma Dutta also spoke at the session, It was chaired by Dean of Law Faculty Prof Rahmat Ullah while DU VC Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman attended as chief guest.