Lesson 2/34 min
The drafting committee & adoption
The Constitution Drafting Committee
- Formed 11 April 1972; 34 members
- Chairman: Dr Kamal Hossain, regarded as the architect of the constitution
- The only woman member: Razia Akhter Banu
- The only opposition member: Suranjit Sengupta (NAP); the other 33 were from the Awami League
- Suranjit Sengupta did not sign the constitution
- The committee held 74 meetings and received 98 memoranda from the public
- The committee first met on 17 April 1972
Steps to adoption (1972)
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 12 October | Kamal Hossain presents the draft as a bill to the Assembly |
| 19–30 October | First reading |
| 4 November | The Assembly adopts the constitution; observed as Constitution Day |
| 14–15 December | Members sign; Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signs first |
| 16 December | The constitution comes into force; the Assembly is dissolved |
Language and artwork
- The constitution was drafted in English; Professor Dr Anisuzzaman made the Bangla translation
- If the Bangla and English texts differ, the Bangla text prevails (Article 153(2))
- Handwritten by the artist Abdur Rouf
- The decoration team was led by artist Zainul Abedin; Hashem Khan was one of its members
Memory trick: Introduced 12 October, adopted 4 November (three weeks later), in force 16 December: exactly one year after Victory Day.
Check yourself
Who was the only woman on the drafting committee?
At a glance
- 1
The Drafting Committee was formed on 11 April 1972, with 34 members and Kamal Hossain as chairman.
- 2
Only woman member: Razia Akhter Banu; only opposition member: Suranjit Sengupta.
- 3
Draft introduced 12 October 1972, adopted 4 November 1972 (Constitution Day).
- 4
The constitution came into force on 16 December 1972.
- 5
Anisuzzaman made the Bangla translation; Abdur Rouf wrote it by hand.