The Constitution can be amended through Parliament, not through street protests, BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy has said. He made the remarks in response to demands, including those from Jamaat-e-Islami, for amendments to Article 70 of the Constitution.

He made the comments while speaking to journalists after the nomination of BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for the 23rd presidential election was declared valid.

On Sunday (August 16), election officer A.M.M. Nasir Uddin declared Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s nomination valid at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka. Gayeshwar later briefed the media.

Gayeshwar said BNP had submitted Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s nomination paper on August 13. BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan signed as the proposer, while Gayeshwar himself signed as the seconder.

He said the Election Commission found no irregularities during the scrutiny process and subsequently declared their candidate’s nomination valid.

Responding to questions about demands by other political parties and alliances to amend Article 70, Gayeshwar said constitutional amendments are not matters to be settled on the streets. Instead, the next Parliament should consider such issues in the national interest.

He said all political and legal processes must currently be carried out in accordance with the Constitution in force. Any legal obstacles must be addressed through parliamentary procedures, he added.

“The Constitution can be amended only in Parliament; there is no point in raising the issue on the streets,” Gayeshwar said.