Dhaka: National Citizens' Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam today stated that his party's stance on reforms was emphasized during a meeting with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "We focused on reform process and state of democracy through after August 5," Nahid told reporters following the meeting held at a city hotel.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Nahid explained that they communicated to Guterres the necessity for fundamental reforms to be established during the current government's tenure, urging all political parties to reach a consensus. He highlighted the importance of the July Charter's swift implementation and asserted the NCP's position that constitutional reform should be conducted through the Constituent Assembly for sustainability, as opposed to parliamentary amendments.
Guterres, during the meeting, emphasized the need for political parties to achieve consensus while maintaining the integrity of democracy. He referred to elections as integral to the reform process, suggesting that elections without prior reform would be ineffective. While acknowledging agreement among political parties on this matter, he noted the divergence lies in the timing and sequence of implementing reforms relative to elections. He expressed optimism that adhering to the July Charter could resolve these differences.
The meeting was attended by Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Professor Dr. Asif Nazrul, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuz Alam, heads of various reform commissions, and Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Monir Haider. Additionally, country representatives from different UN bodies were present.