Creating new constitution far more challenging: Barrister Sara Hossain

The argument that the constitution should be entirely rewritten must be scrutinised further as creating something new poses challenges, Barrister Sara Hossain said today (31 August).

“While dismantling existing structures may seem straightforward, creating something new is far more challenging,” said the senior lawyer of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh while speaking at a dialogue.

Sara emphasised diverse perspectives in the ongoing discussion and said, “For any new framework to be sustainable, it must be inclusive.

“It is not enough to create something that is merely permanent; it must also be adaptable and capable of ongoing improvement.”

Barrister Sara said the current dialogue seems to focus primarily on freedom of expression, neglecting other fundamental rights. 

“Additionally, we still retain the death penalty. In considering reform, we must examine both societal norms and practices, not just the functions of institutions,” she said.

The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) hosted the dialogue at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) Auditorium to discuss the constitutional reform for the interim government. 

Zillur Rahman, Executive Director of CGS, moderated the discussion.

Speakers included Dr Ali Riaz, Distinguished Professor of Illinois State University, USA, and member of CGS’s Advisory Board, Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Secretary of SHUJAN, Ikteder Ahmed, former judge and columnist, Nurul Kabir, Editor of New Age, A F Hassan Ariff, Advisor, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Land, Dr Borhan Uddin Khan, Prof of Department of Law, University of Dhaka, Dr Manzoor Hasan OBE, Executive Director, Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University, A.M. Mahbub Uddin Khokon, President, Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association, Mahfuj Alam, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor, Habibur Rahman, former Student, Department at Law, University of Dhaka, Z I Khan Panna, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Chairperson of Ain o Salish Kendra, Barrister Raja Devasish Roy, Chief of Chakma Circle, Dr Dilara Chowdhury, Professor, Department of Political Science, Jahangirnagar University, and Dilruba Shormin, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Munira Khan, President FEMA.