Ali Riaz: "The term 'Fascism' will be removed from the constitution"

Bangladesh's newly appointed constitutional reform commission, established following the student-led revolution that led to the ousting of long-time autocrat Sheikh Hasina, pledged on Sunday to remove "fascism" from the constitution to protect democracy.

The commission is required to submit its recommendations to the interim government by December 31, as part of significant changes promised by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who became the country's "chief advisor" after the August uprising.

Ali Riaz, the reform commission chair and a political science professor at Illinois State University, stated that the goal is to draft a constitution that "reflects the aspirations" of the Bangladeshi people. “The current constitution grants the prime minister considerable power, and this centralization of authority creates conditions conducive to fascism,” Riaz explained during his first press conference since the commission's formation by the interim government in early October.

He added, “The imbalance of power is a breeding ground for fascism.”

The commission includes senior barristers, law professors from Dhaka University, rights activists, and a student leader who played a key role in the protests against Hasina.

The reform process will entail discussions with constitutional experts, lawyers, and representatives from civil society, as well as consultations between the government and political parties. "The interim government will engage with all political parties regarding the proposals and relay their recommendations to the commission," he noted.

“The final version will be developed after multiple rounds of discussions.”

Hasina’s 15-year rule was marked by widespread human rights violations, including mass detentions and extrajudicial killings of political adversaries.

Her government faced allegations of politicizing the judiciary and civil service and conducting skewed elections to undermine democratic checks on its authority.

Yunus has previously remarked that he inherited a “completely broken” public administration system that requires a thorough overhaul to prevent a return to autocratic rule.