Advisor Asif Nazrul says it may take 2-3 years to draft a new constitution

Law Advisor Asif Nazrul has said it may take “two to three years” to draft a new constitution, cautioning against the assumption that the July Charter could be adopted swiftly or without significant debate.

Speaking at an event in Dhaka on Sunday, he also indicated that the current parliament will need to continue amending the 1972 Constitution in the interim.

Addressing concerns about what would happen if the new constitution is not completed on time, he said: “If they can’t do it within 90 days, will the existing constitution continue? This is where I object. In our neighbouring countries, we’ve seen it take eight or nine years for a constituent assembly to finalise a new constitution through parliamentary amendments.”

Asif estimated that it could take two to three years to finalise the new constitution. He added that the current parliament will have to make amendments to the 1972 Constitution until a new one is adopted.

He made these remarks on Sunday at an event hosted at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka. The discussion was organised by the Citizens' Coalition on the group’s seven-point proposal for constitutional reform.

During his speech, Asif pointed to precedents in Bangladesh’s political history, and said that while drafting a constitution, a parliament cannot devote all of its time to the task. It can only afford to spend two days a week on the constitution, making it an unrealistic expectation for an assembly to draft a new constitution within 90 days.

He also weighed in on the Charter of the July Uprising, saying it is receiving “too much emphasis.”

“We seem to be assuming that everyone will agree on every aspect of the July Charter. That won’t be so easy. Perhaps only the most fundamental parts of it can be retained. This needs careful consideration, though the idea itself is a very good one,” he said.