Dhaka: The National Consensus Commission is set to conclude its discussions on critical state reform issues with political parties today, as part of its efforts to formulate the "July Charter," according to its Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz. Prof Riaz made this announcement during the 23rd day of the second phase of the Commission's talks, which commenced at 11:30 a.m. at the Foreign Service Academy.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the second phase of dialogue is expected to wrap up today, with the aim of resolving any remaining unresolved issues. Prof Ali Riaz stated that once this phase concludes, the final draft of the state reform charter will be distributed to the political parties, and the much-anticipated July Charter will be finalized based on their feedback.
Prof Riaz noted that during the initial phase of dialogue, consensus was reached on summaries of recommendations provided by six reform commissions. Additionally, agreement was achieved on 13 issues, albeit with notes of dissent. The current phase aims to address and resolve the outstanding issues.
He further mentioned that the preliminary draft of the July Charter has been shared with political party representatives, and the commission is currently working on the amendment proposals submitted by the parties. Prof Riaz expressed optimism that any unresolved issues can be settled through mutual discussions.
Once the final draft of the July Charter is prepared, it will be sent to the political parties for signing, where their signatures will be affixed.
Today's discussions, as per commission sources, cover a range of topics including the formation of an upper house, election procedures, state principles, the Public Service Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and provisions for appointing the Auditor General, Controller, and Ombudsman, as well as the expansion of citizens' fundamental rights.
Representatives from 30 political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Gana Sanghati, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, and Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, are participating in today's meeting.
The meeting is also attended by Commission members Justice Emdadul Haque, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, Dr. Md Ayub Mia, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Safar Raj Hossain, and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider. Additionally, the proceedings are being broadcast live by Bangladesh Television (BTV).