July Charter will be followed after consultation with opposition: Minister

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman has said the government is ready to proceed with constitutional reforms in line with the July Charter once the opposition submits its nominees for a proposed constitutional amendment committee.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday at a cheque distribution ceremony organised by the district council at the Shailkupa Upazila Parishad Auditorium in Jhenaidah, the minister said the government had proposed forming a 17-member constitutional amendment committee before the final session of parliament.

“We informed the opposition that we wanted to form a 17-member constitutional amendment committee. We have already nominated seven members from our side and included five representatives from among the independent members. We requested the opposition to nominate five members as well,” he said.

According to the minister, the opposition indicated that it would provide the names during the next parliamentary session.

“We are waiting for their nominations. Once we receive them, we will move forward with constitutional reforms following the path outlined in the July Charter,” he added.

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Responding to a question about whether ordinances introduced during the tenure of the now-defunct interim government would be presented before parliament, Asaduzzaman said the issue was not one of cancellation but rather further review.

“We have not discarded them; we simply have not presented them yet. We previously stated that we were conducting further scrutiny,” he said.

The minister noted that the government had already completed initial consultations on two pieces of legislation—the Human Rights Commission Act and the Enforced Disappearances Commission Act.

“We have received numerous recommendations. These are being reviewed and evaluated, and we hope to move them forward as quickly as possible,” he added.

Commenting on the rape and murder case of child victim Ramisa in the capital’s Mirpur, the law minister expressed hope that the court would award the maximum punishment to the accused.

“The government has exercised all the authority and resources available to it. We promised that the charge sheet would be submitted within a week, and by the grace of Allah, we were able to do so within that timeframe,” he said.

He added that the court would resume proceedings on Monday and that the case had been scheduled for hearing on the very first day in view of its importance.

“The rest is now the responsibility of the court. We will continue to cooperate with the judicial process,” he said.

Asaduzzaman further stated that the court would decide the matter based on justice, available evidence, witness testimonies, and the accused’s confessional statement.

“Considering the evidence, testimonies, and the accused’s confession, I believe the court will take the issue of maximum punishment into consideration,” he said.