Dhaka: The Election Commission has
started a key process to ban religion-based political parties
in Bangladesh as it directed three Islamic parties to amend
their charters which was found to be in conflict with the
country’s constitution, a news report said today.
The election panel wrote to three Islamic political
parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, to carryout
amendments to their respective constitutions as it found their
charters in conflict with the constitution, the New Age
newspaper said.
The two other parties are Bangladesh Khelataf Andolan
and Tarikat Federation.
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said earlier this month
that the government will ban all religion-based political
parties after the Supreme Court upheld a 2005 High Court
ruling throwing out the fifth amendment of the constitution
that had facilitated religion-based politics to flourish in
the country.
ATM Shamsul Huda, the Chief Election Commissioner,
said that the panel would direct political parties to amend
their respective constitutions if the submitted constitutions
were found to have provisions in conflict with the RPO.
Bangladesh's original constitution, drafted by the
secular Awami League in the post independent period barred the
use of religion in politics.
The poll panel also directed six other political
parties to amend their constitutions, which had provisions in
conflict with the Representation of the People Order,
according to the report in the Bangladeshi daily.
The six parties are: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami,
Workers Party of Bangladesh, Ganatantri Party, National Awami
Party, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Jatiya Party-led by HM Ershad,
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesh Khelataf Andolan and
Tarikat Federation.
An official of the EC secretariat said that Jamaat’s
charter did not comply with the constitution of the republic
as the party expressly said it did not accept any form of rule
but the rule of Allah.
The Jamaat’s charter also denied the Parliament’s
plenary power to make laws and refused to accept the supremacy
and sovereignty of the people, the official said.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 18:45