The National Consensus Commission is set to begin separate discussions with political parties in the first half of this month to build consensus on proposed reforms.
Before these discussions, the commission will gather opinions from the parties on key recommendations for reforms across various sectors. Political parties are also preparing for these discussions.
According to the Consensus Commission, a document outlining the key recommendations will be sent to the parties within the next day or two. Discussions will commence once the parties have provided their initial feedback.
The National Consensus Commission officially began its work with a meeting involving political parties on 15 February. During this meeting, it was announced that the reform process would be advanced through a July Charter, which will be formulated based on consensus among political parties.
The next national parliamentary elections will be held in accordance with this charter.
Sources within the Consensus Commission indicate that recommendations from six different reform commissions have already been shared with political parties.
Currently, the commission is preparing for direct discussions by consolidating key reform proposals into a structured table. Parties will be asked to provide specific feedback on each recommendation, including whether they agree with it and when they believe it should be implemented - before or after the elections. Discussions will commence after reviewing the responses.
However, the schedule for individual meetings with political parties has not yet been finalised, according to commission sources. Discussions with political parties are expected to begin within the next seven to 10 days. If any party prefers to participate as part of a coalition, that option will also be available.
Additionally, after holding separate discussions, a joint discussion with all parties or coalitions will take place. Efforts are also being made to include public consultations in the process.
Monir Haider, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor (Consensus), who is coordinating the commission’s engagement with political parties, told Prothom Alo on Monday that the key recommendations will be sent to the parties in a structured format within the next couple of days. Parties will be required to submit their feedback within a specified timeframe, after which the discussions will begin.
Political parties are also getting ready
Political parties are also reviewing the reports of the six reform commissions independently. According to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) sources, the party had formed six committees to draft separate reform proposals on a party-specific basis. These committees are currently analysing the reform commission reports. However, BNP intends to prioritise its 31-point state reform proposal.
BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told Prothom Alo Monday that BNP has already submitted its 31-point proposal in response to the reform commissions’ request for party opinions.
He emphasised that reaching a consensus on these issues would be beneficial.
However, if consensus is not achieved, political parties can proceed to elections with their individual proposals, leaving the final decision to the people. “No one has a mandate to enforce anything beyond this,” he insisted.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is also reviewing the reform commission reports. Party sources indicate that six separate groups are analysing the reports, though their review process is still ongoing.
Mia Golam Parwar, Jamaat’s Secretary General, told Prothom Alo Monday that the government had provided them with the reform commission reports, along with assurances that separate discussions would be held with political parties on both the commission’s proposals and their own.
However, the government has not yet announced a specific timeline for these discussions.
He affirmed that the party is willing to cooperate in this process.
Meanwhile, Sarwar Tushar, Joint Convener of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), stated that their review of the reform commission recommendations is nearly complete.
Speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday, he confirmed that NCP is ready to submit its opinion if requested by the Consensus Commission.
While political parties have differing views on various reform issues, they also disagree on the implementation process. For example, BNP advocates for holding national elections first, after which the elected parliament would amend the constitution.
In contrast, the NCP leaders, who led the July mass uprising, support drafting a new constitution through Constituent Assembly elections before national elections take place.
However, the parties remain hopeful that discussions with the Consensus Commission will lead to a resolution.
Zonayed Saki, Chief Coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan, told Prothom Alo on Monday that a national charter must be formulated based on a minimum level of unity among political parties.
He emphasised the importance of defining both the implementation process and the timeframe for the agreed-upon recommendations.
Additionally, he stressed the need for a national consensus on the future of the Bangladesh Awami League, the party that was ousted from power through the mass uprising.
After the fall of autocratic Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government on 5 August last year following a student-led mass uprising, an interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus took office on 8 August.
One of the primary objectives of this government is to introduce reforms across various sectors. To achieve this, the government established six reform commissions in the first week of October last year, focusing on the constitution, electoral system, public administration, police, Anti-Corruption Commission, and judiciary.
These commissions published their full reports in February. The National Consensus Commission, under the leadership of Professor Muhammad Yunus, is currently working with the heads of these commissions to facilitate discussions and decision-making on the proposed reforms.
Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission, told Prothom Alo yesterday that they aim to begin discussions by 10-11 March, after receiving feedback from political parties on key recommendations.
Once it becomes clear which parties agree or disagree on specific issues, separate discussions will be held accordingly. Minimal discussion will be needed for issues where consensus already exists. However, for issues where disagreements arise, the discussions will focus on the reasons behind these differences and whether minor modifications could lead to a broader agreement.
* The report, originally published in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat