Dhaka: National Consensus Commission Vice Chairman Professor Ali Riaz announced today that the National Charter will be crafted with revised proposals based on the feedback from political parties. He emphasized that the proposals from various commissions during the reform process are not final and will be shaped by the viewpoints of the political parties.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Professor Riaz made these remarks at the commencement of the second phase of discussions between political parties and the National Consensus Commission at the Doel Hall of the Foreign Service Academy. He clarified that proposals lacking consensus would not be included in the National Charter. The aim is to find agreement on certain points, while unresolved issues will be left for political parties to address in their election manifestos, allowing the public to decide their acceptance.
Professor Riaz also highlighted the public’s eagerness to understand the commission’s activities, noting that the second phase of discussions is being broadcast live to keep citizens informed. He expressed optimism that the drafting of the National Charter would be completed by July and urged political parties to reach a minimum level of consensus on reform proposals.
The meeting today involved in-depth discussions on key issues, including the authority of members of parliament to vote against their party in the lower house, the nomination of opposition party members as chairs of parliamentary standing committees, women’s representation in the lower house, and recommendations from the Electoral Reform Commission.
The discussion saw participation from approximately 30 political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), and others. Present at the meeting were Commission members Justice Md Emdadul Haque, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, Safar Raj Hossain, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, and Dr. Md Ayub Mia, along with Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider.