Morning News
25th March 1969
Mujib’s amendment of constitution: Draft for Ayub
ISLAMABAD, March 24 (APP): Sheikh Mujibur Rahman President of the Six-Point Awami League, has submitted a draft of constitutional amendments to President Ayub, Mr. A. H. M. Kamarur Zaman, General Secretary of the party, told a news conference here today.
The draft, which runs into 56 foolscape typed pages envisages a federal parliamentary system with regional autonomy based on the six-point programme of the Awami League and 11-point demand of East Pakistan Students Action Committee.
Mr. A. H. M. Kamaruzzaman, who is also an MNA, said a bill containing the amendments would be moved as a private member’s bill in the forthcoming session of the National Assembly.
He said that he had already submitted the draft bill to the Secretary of the National Assembly. Besides himself, It stood it the name of Mr. Mizanur Rahman Choudhury, Prof. Yusuf Ali and Mr. A. B. M. Nurul Islam.
Mr. Kamaruzzaman said the copy of the draft amendments was submitted to President Ayub yesterday through Mr. Abdul Qayuum, Joint Secretary to the President’s Secretariat.
The draft bill envisages a federation of two states-the State of East Pakistan and the State of West Pakistan, the latter being a sub-federation comprising the provinces of Punjab NWFP, Sind, and Baluchistan.
The representation in the Federal Legislature would be on the basis of population. The voting age would be 18 years. Constitution would be amended by simple majority. Federal capital would be located at Dacca and the seat of Legislature would be at Islamabad. The seat of the Supreme Court would be located at Dacca. The federal subjects would be defence, foreign affairs, currency, public debts of federation, and matters pertaining to the remuneration of Speakers, Deputy Speakers, members of the Federal Legislature and of the Supreme Court Judges Residuary powers would be with the provinces. There would be one State Bank and two Regional Reserve Banks for the two states.
সুত্র: সংবাদপত্রে বঙ্গবন্ধু: পঞ্চম খণ্ড ॥ ষাটের দশক ॥ চতুর্থ পর্ব ॥ ১৯৬৯