Poet, philosopher, and political thinker Farhad Mazhar claimed on Saturday that the current government is an elected one, and that the 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh is, in fact, Pakistan’s constitution.
Speaking as the chief discussant at a seminar titled "The Role of Youth in Post-July Revolution Bangladesh" at the Jashore Shilpakala Academy on Saturday, Mazhar also came down hard on the BNP, ssaying: “Their fall began the moment they stopped listening to us.”
He further declared, “Those who do not learn from history, whether today or tomorrow, will be lost.”
Mazhar said, Dr. Yunus's leadership in the interim government was established through a popular uprising and was not merely the result of an election.
“He was elected with blood,” Mazhar said, emphasizing the importance of the sacrifices made by individuals like Abu Sayeed of Begumj Rokeya University in Rangpur, and countless others. “Which is more important, votes or blood?”
As a result, he claimed that the current government should be recognised as 'more than elected,' if possible.
Mazhar did not hold back in his criticism of the 1972 constitution, saying it was never the people's constitution of Bangladesh. “The 1972 Constitution was Pakistan’s Constitution. It was created to hand Bangladesh over to Delhi,” he said. Mazhar said in 1971, Bangladesh did not have a revolution but instead gained independence. He accused Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of not fulfilling the people’s will in the post-independence period and criticised the absence of a Constituent Assembly vote, which he described as a key step towards forming a state.
“For state formation, a Constituent Assembly vote is the recognised procedure,” he added.
Therefore, he claimed, the 1972 Constitution was never truly the constitution of Bangladesh's people, as those who formulated it were elected to draft Pakistan’s constitution.
It may be noted here that the constituent assembly that produced the 1972 constitution of Bangladesh, was formed comprising the winners in East Pakistan of the 1970 election in Pakistan - which was a constituent assembly election.
Mazhar also reflected on the role of youth in shaping the future of the nation. “There is no such thing as reform. We couldn’t even make our own constitution,” he said.
He warned that without a second phase of independence in which a state is formed, the country would fall behind by another 50 years. He agreed with students’ demand for a Constituent Assembly vote, calling it a rightful claim. “As long as we have breath, we will stay with these young ones,” Mazhar assured.
He also emphasised the importance of raising public awareness, stating, “We will continue to awaken the people.”
The seminar, organized by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Jashore, also saw speeches from Benzeen Khan, founder of Prachya Sangha Hashore, Khaled Saifullah, central member of the National Citizen Party, Mohammad Romel, Fahim Al Fattah, leader of the Jashore Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and others.