Constitution can only be amended through parliament, not street politics: Gayeshwar

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy has said any amendment to the Constitution must be pursued through parliamentary procedures, not through street-level political demands.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon on Sunday (August 16), shortly after the nomination of BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for the presidential election was declared valid.

Asked about Jamaat-e-Islami’s demand to amend Article 70 of the Constitution, Gayeshwar said constitutional reform was not an issue to be settled through street discussions.

“The next parliament will consider the matter in the national interest,” he said, adding that political and legal processes should continue under the Constitution currently in force.

“Constitutional amendments are possible only in parliament. There is no point raising the issue on the streets. If there are any legal obstacles, they must also be resolved through parliamentary procedures,” he said.

BNP submitted Fakhrul’s nomination for the presidency on Aug 13. Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan signed as the proposer, while Gayeshwar signed as the seconder.

On Sunday, Election Commission chief and presidential election officer A M M Nasir Uddin declared Fakhrul’s nomination valid following scrutiny.

Gayeshwar’s comments came amid renewed political debate over proposed constitutional changes, including Article 70, which governs the position of lawmakers who vote against their party in parliament.