Dhaka: National Consensus Commission Vice-President Professor Ali Riaz today expressed optimism about completing the national charter by July, following the second round of discussions with political parties. He made these remarks during an interaction with journalists at LD Hall of Jatiya Sangsad.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the event was attended by commission members including Justice Md Emdadul Haque, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Safar Raj Hossain, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, and Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haider. During the meeting, Ali Riaz presented the commission’s progress report.
The report highlighted that the commission had distributed copies of six commission reports on reform proposals to political parties on February 28. Additionally, 166 important recommendations from the commission’s final report were sent to political parties and alliances for feedback on March 5. These recommendations included 70 related to constitutional reform, 27 to the electoral system, 23 to the judiciary, 26 to public administration, and 20 to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
It was noted that the Police Reform Commission’s recommendations were excluded from the main spreadsheet, as they could be implemented through administrative decisions. The report also detailed that the commission had commenced its first phase of discussions with political parties on March 20, holding 45 sessions with 33 political parties and alliances until May 19.
The commission has reportedly reached consensus on several issues with political parties, including the appointment of the Chief Justice, permanent attorney service, a bicameral legislature, balance of power between the president and the prime minister, allocation of 100 seats for women, and restructuring of the Public Service Commission to form three public services with eight members.
Professor Ali Riaz indicated that the commission plans to initiate the second phase of discussions in the first week of June, focusing on thematic issues. He acknowledged that while consensus on all issues may not be achievable, the commission aims to reach agreement on fundamental matters where differences persist.
The National Consensus Commission, chaired by Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus, was established to build national consensus on reforms. The commission officially commenced its work on February 15.