Speakers at a BBC dialogue yesterday said Bangladesh should go back to the fundamental principles of the constitution of 1972 to get back the spirit of the liberation war.

Some corrections could be made to any constitution but the fundamental spirit of the constitution could not be changed, they added.

The speakers further said that the country's madrasa education system should be modernised so that the graduates from madrasas could compete at the highest level.

The dialogue based on the contemporary issues across the country organised by BBC Bangladesh Sanglap was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.

Food Minister Abdur Razzaque, BNP leader ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, Prof Muntasir Mamun and President of Women for Women Salma Khan were the panellists at the dialogue.

Razzaque said the country was derailed from its track of the spirit of liberation war to a Pakistani track through the changes in the four basics of the constitution.

“Now, we should get back to the spirit of our liberation war that are nationalism, secularism, socialism and democracy,” he added.

Prof Muntasir said, “Constitution is not the holy Quran or the Bible that no correction could be made to it. But the fundamental principals could not be changed.”

“The fundamental spirit of our constitution was not changed by any democratically elected government, rather a military person changed it on his own will,” he said.

Milon, however, differed with other panellists, saying: “We cannot go back to the stage of 1972 when we are standing in 2009.

Replying to a query from an audience on the proposed education policy, Milon said there is a need to teach religion in the schools as it gives moral teaching.

Differing with Milon on the issue, Razzaque said the government doesn't want to cancel the madrasa education system, rather it wants to modernise it so that madrasa students could compete at the highest level.

Prof Muntasir said those who are claiming that madrasa system would be destroyed are only doing it for a political purpose.

“The children of Nizami, Golam Azam and others don't study in madrasas. The madrasa education system should be modernised,” he added.