HRCBM's Seminar on Vested Property Act: Efforts on to restore 1972 constitution

Picture (courtesy HRCBM-Bangladesh): HRCBM's seminar on Vested Property Act. From top left: Bangladesh Law Minister Barrister Shafiq Ahmed and HRCBM-Bangladesh's leaders Prof. Ajoy Roy, President and R.N. Trivedi, Secretary General. Top Right: Mr. R.N. Trivdei working through papers while Barrister Shafiq Ahmed is giving speech. Bottom: Panel of speakers including Barrister Shafiq Ahmed.

Report from The Daily star News
Efforts on to restore 1972 constitution
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=97312

Says law minister
Staff Correspondent
The government is trying wholeheartedly to restore the constitution of 1972, and for that it is waiting for a positive verdict of the appellate division of the Supreme Court (SC) on the High Court's (HC) verdict on the fifth amendment to the constitution, said Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed at a seminar yesterday.

"The HC verdict declaring the fifth amendment illegal is now pending in the appellate division as BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delware Hossain appealed against the verdict. If the SC verdict goes in our favour then the constitution of 1972 would be restored automatically," he added.

The seminar titled 'Vested property and endowed property: Constitutional and human rights of the minority people' was organised by Samprity Mancha and Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities at the National Press Club in the city. Speaking as chief guest Shafique said, “There might be some difficulties to restore the constitution of 1972 through parliament and as such we are looking for the SC verdict.” He said the government is firmly committed to try the war criminals in a way which would be accepted internationally. The minister said the minority people would not have been deprived of their land if the main principles of the liberation war like secularism were not removed from the constitution.He alleged that the government lawyers do not help the victims properly and for that the grabbers get court's verdict in favour of them. Rabindranath Tribedi, secretary general of the Congress, presented a keynote paper at the seminar. He suggested the government to form a commission to recover the vested and endowed property.

Eminent economist Prof Abul Barakat said around 50 lakh minority people fell victim to property grabbers in the name of vested or enemy property. He suggested the government to amend the 'Vested Property (Restoration) Act' after consulting with the victims, researchers, law specialists and human rights organisations. Hasanul Haque Inu MP, Columnist Syed Abul Maksud and Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Ayesha Khanam also spoke at the seminar.