"I agree with the proposition that there is no rule of law in the country," he said at a seminar on 'Local initiatives for establishing the rule of law' organised by the Society of Justice at a city hotel on Wednesday.

Justice Ahmed said the rule of law was violated on the first Victory Day, December 16, 1971, as some 'freedom fighters bayoneted several stranded Pakistani troops' in violation of the Geneva Convention.

Citing some other examples, he said that the fourth amendment changed completely the basic structure of the constitution, and that the assassination of the president along with his family members on August 15, 1975 set a grim example of violating the rule of law.

He said that an accused in the Shah AMS Kibria killing case intended to deposit a confessional statement to the magistrate, but the police barred him from doing so, which is another example of the violation of the rule of law.

Politicians must adopt a constitutional way to get rid of such a situation, justice Ahmed said.

A sense of insecurity haunts every citizen today and people are utterly disappointed with the successive governments, said Prof Mizanur Rahman, president of the Society of Justice.

Presenting the Society's findings on rape, dowry, Hilla marriage and acid violence, Dr AKM Saifullah said that these social evils occur due to the absence of the rule of law, misinterpretation of Muslim law and lack of awareness and legal knowledge.

Deputy High Commissioner of Australia Richard Rodgers, Kim McQuay of Asia Foundation Bangladesh and Dr Sanaul Mostafa also spoke at the seminar.