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| Bangladesh |
| EC to decide fate of religion based politics |
| 2010-08-01 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] The Election Commission (EC) will decide whether to cancel registrations of religion-based political parties in the country, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said yesterday. "The Election Commission is a constitutional body and it'll uphold the supremacy of the constitution," the minister told reporters after attending a national consultation meeting titled "Children Justice System in Bangladesh" in the city. In reply to whether Jamaat-e-Islami's politics would be banned following the Supreme Court (SC) verdict on the fifth amendment, Shafique said the Election Commission as an independent body will decide which political parties it will allow to operate within the constitutional framework. The fifth amendment to the constitution, which the SC declared illegal, scrapped article 12 of the original constitution that prohibited religion-based politics and communalism in all forms. The SC verdict, published in full on Wednesday, however, reinstates that article. The law minister said article 38 of the original constitution stated whether or not a political party can use religion in its political pursuits. Save the Children, Children Justice Network (CJN) and the Shishu Shurokkhay Amra (SSA) jointly organised the consultation meeting at CIRDAP auditorium to explore ways to a comprehensive justice system for children in Bangladesh. Speaking on the issue, barrister Shafique said dispute resolution concerning children through arbitration could save them from severe punishment at the early stage of their lives. He also emphasised ensuring adequate facilities for sports and recreation for them that can keep them away from committing offences. Justice Iman Ali of the High Court Division presented the keynote paper on the issue while Human Rights Commission Chairman Mizanur Rahman spoke as the special guest. Justice Ali said a good number of children in the country are deprived of their basic human rights. Many of them confront violence including sexual abuse at home and workplace, and fall victims of child trafficking, he said. Representatives from development organisations, NGOs and civil societies also took part in the discussion. |
| Posted by:Fred |