Gono Forum Emeritus President Dr Kamal Hossain has said the struggle to protect people’s rights in Bangladesh is not over, stressing the need to ensure an independent judiciary, free and fair elections, and freedom of expression.
He also called for an end to discrimination based on religion, community, gender, race or political identity.
Kamal Hossain made the remarks in a written statement delivered at a discussion marking Constitution Day 2026 at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The Democratic Lawyers Association of Bangladesh organised the event under the theme “Human rights, democracy, independent judiciary and the fundamental principles of the 1972 Constitution”.
Sanjid Rahman Shuvo, publicity secretary of the organisation, read out the statement on behalf of Kamal, who was the chief guest.
In his statement, Kamal described the Constitution as the outcome of the nation’s struggle for independence. He said the people had envisioned an exploitation-free and democratic state through the Liberation War.
He recalled that the 1972 Constitution established nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism as the four fundamental principles of the state.
“The people are the owners of all state power,” he said, calling on everyone to work together to build a democratic and discrimination-free Bangladesh.
The discussion was chaired by Subrata Chowdhury, president of the Democratic Lawyers Association of Bangladesh.
Subrata Chowdhury said the country had reached its present position after overcoming numerous challenges, culminating in the July mass uprising. He urged the government not to create further divisions within the nation.
He stressed the need to uphold the spirit of the Liberation War, the 1990 mass uprising and the July uprising, saying the latter had sought to establish a humane and discrimination-free state.
He also alleged that opposition forces at the grassroots level wanted to erase the history of the Liberation War and bring back the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Criticising former interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s statement about “resetting Bangladesh”, Subrata Chowdhury said such remarks implied discarding the country’s history, including the Language Movement of 1952, the education movement of 1962, the mass uprising of 1969, the Liberation War of 1971 and the mass uprising of 1990.
He also alleged that mob violence and fundamentalism had increased during that period, and people were still suffering the consequences.
Expressing concern over weaknesses in different areas of government, Subrata Chowdhury warned that the country’s future would be at risk if fundamentalist groups regained influence.
Among those attending the discussion were Abu Sayeed, Supreme Court Bar Association President AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and lawyer Sara Hossain.
Lawyer Hasan Tariq Chowdhury presented the keynote paper.
