The current constitution, enacted in 1972 shortly after Bangladesh's independence, has largely shackled the people of the country, Badiul Alam Majumdar said on Saturday night.
Badiul, a member of the National Consensus Commission, made the comment during a discussion titled "July Charter: Aspirations and Implementation". The event, held at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka, was organised by the Students Against Discrimination.
"Sheikh Hasina came to power through an election and that election is certainly debated. But the system, the institutions, the processes… that very system, those very institutions and processes… turned Sheikh Hasina into a monster. Turned her into an autocrat. And if we don't change those institutions, systems, and processes, we won't be able to reach a new destination by walking the old path."
Despite many limitations, the Consensus Commission is continuing its work on the July Charter, he added.
Sabrina Afroze Sebonti, sister of July Uprising martyr Saikat, demanded capital punishment for the killers.
"There can be no other justice for killing a person except the death penalty… because they knowingly and consciously murdered someone."
Sarwar Tushar, joint convener of the National Citizens' Party (NCP), called for reforms before the election. He said, "Hold the election within the timeframe that we all agreed on, we have no objection to that. But don't tell us the elected government will carry out the reforms. You should say that the next election will be held based on reforms."
Mahadi Amin, adviser to BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman, said, "If now we talk about the July Charter … and if it's imposed on someone forcibly, [such as] 'You're saying something different, that's not acceptable, this alone must be accepted', then that too is not democratic. That too becomes a kind of authoritarian rule under a different guise.
"From the BNP's side, we're saying, our journey may be different, but the end goal, the destination, is to build a Bangladesh where we can truly ensure human rights, establish the rule of law, and ensure freedom of speech for all."
Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha, questioned whether the views of any martyr's family had been taken into account regarding the July Charter. He also stated that he does not support the existing constitution and called for the creation of a new constitution with the participation of the people.
Others present at the roundtable included NCP's Joint Convenor Javed Rasin, AB Party's General Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, writer and activist Sahul Ahmed Munna, poet, writer, and translator Tuhin Khan, activist Saiyed Abdullah, among others.
Comments