Dhaka: National Consensus Commission Vice Chairman Professor Ali Riaz announced that political parties have reached a consensus on two significant issues regarding the appointment of the Chief Justice. The discussions, held at the Foreign Service Academy, resulted in agreements on amending the current provision under Article 95 of the Constitution and requiring the President to appoint the Chief Justice from among the judges serving in the Appellate Division.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, during the briefing at the end of the 11th day of talks between the National Consensus Commission and political parties, it was highlighted that the current Constitution does not mandate the President to adhere to a specific guideline in appointing the Chief Justice. However, differing views remain on whether the most senior judge should be appointed as Chief Justice or if the appointment should be made from among the two most senior judges. The commission has opted to continue discussions on this matter.
The commission's members, including Justice Md. Emdadul Haque, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Safar Raj Hossain, Dr. Md. Ayub Miah, and the Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Monir Haider, were present at the discussions. Ali Riaz also mentioned a consensus reached during the July 7 discussion on the issue of declaring a state of emergency, specifically on amending Article 141(A) of the Constitution and ensuring that such declarations are not used as political tools.
In today's discussions, proposals were made to eliminate the provision allowing the declaration of a state of emergency on the grounds of 'internal disturbance' under Article 141(A) and to replace the Prime Minister's signature requirement with cabinet approval. The commission and political parties agreed on the need for clearer definitions on this issue, with additional elements expected to emerge in next week's discussions.
Regarding proposals related to the caretaker government, Professor Ali Riaz noted that all political parties aim to establish a flawless system, although further discussions are necessary. The talks included representatives from 30 political parties, such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), Gano Odhikar Parishad, Gonosanghati Andolon, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, and Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party.