Constitution Amendment Committee: Jamaat hesitates amid reform vs. amendment debate

Bangladesh’s main opposition party, Jamaat-e-Islami, has not yet decided whether it will nominate representatives to the government’s proposed special committee on constitutional amendments.

However, several party leaders believe that joining an “amendment committee” instead of a broader constitutional reform process could legitimise the government’s approach, allowing it to proceed on its own terms. As a result, there is growing sentiment within Jamaat against joining the committee.

On 29 April, Law Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal proposed in parliament the formation of a special committee aimed at constitutional amendments. He requested that the opposition submit five names for the committee.

The law minister said that a 12-member list for the constitutional amendment committee had already been prepared. Of them, seven would be Members of Parliament from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The remaining members would come from the Gono Odhikar Parishad, Ganosamhati Andolon, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, and independent MPs.

With five names from the opposition, the total committee would have 17 members. However, distrust within the opposition camp has not yet been resolved.

On that day in parliament, opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman said that they had a conceptual disagreement regarding the formation of the committee. He noted that there were differences of opinion from the beginning, which still persist.

While they support constitutional reform, the government is speaking about amendments instead. He added that they would discuss the proposal internally before making a decision.

Parliament’s first session ended on 30 April, but the opposition has still not submitted any names for the committee.

According to several sources, the opposition has consistently been demanding constitution reform rather than mere amendments. They argue that the first step should have been implementing the July Charter and forming a Constitution Reform Council, as promised in BNP’s 31-point programme. Instead, the government has proposed an amendment-focused committee.

Jamaat aims to pressure BNP

At the latest meeting of the 11-party alliance liaison committee on 30 April, the issue was also discussed. Sources present at the meeting said that the alliance leaders expressed negative views about the proposed amendment committee. They believe that recent government initiatives have not created an atmosphere of trust for the opposition. Therefore, they want to observe the government’s next steps before making a final decision.

The objections

Opposition leaders allege that there is no visible government initiative to advance the reform process. They point to the lack of oath-taking of a constitutional reform council and the failure to ratify all ordinances issued by the interim government within 30 working days of the start of parliament sessions as examples of this reluctance.

Some opposition leaders believe that the ruling side is making decisions based on its two-thirds majority in parliament. They fear that the same majority-driven approach may be applied in the constitutional amendment committee as well, leaving little room for the opposition to influence outcomes.

To understand Jamaat’s position on the government’s proposal, Prothom Alo spoke with three of its MPs—including the deputy opposition leader—as well as three members of the party’s central executive committee. Their remarks suggest differing interpretations within the party, but a cautious stance regarding participation in the amendment committee is evident.

The discussions were held with opposition deputy leader and Jamaat Naib-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, along with MPs Nazibur Rahman Momen (Pabna-1) and Shaikh Monzurul Haque (Bagerhat-2).

Nazibur Rahman and Shaikh Monzurul Haque said the opposition has consistently demanded constitutional reform, not mere amendments. They argued that if the government were serious about reform, it would have implemented the Constitution Reform Council proposed in their 31-point agenda.

Instead, the government is now proposing an amendment committee. They also expressed concern that, given the ruling party’s dominance in parliament, the same majority-driven decision-making could occur within the committee, limiting the opposition’s role.

In a late-session discussion, leaders from various political parties participated in a photo session with the National Consensus Commission. The event took place at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka at 11:15 pm on 8 October, 2025.

Opposition deputy leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher told Prothom Alo that no formal decision has yet been made. He said the matter would be discussed before a final decision is taken.

 “No scope to join”

Three members of Jamaat’s central executive committee also spoke to Prothom Alo. Among them, Assistant Secretary General and 11-party alliance coordinator Hamidur Rahman Azad said there is no scope for Jamaat to join the government-proposed committee. He said the opposition has consistently demanded constitutional reform through a reform council, not an amendment committee. Since the government’s proposal does not align with that position, there is no basis for participation.

However, Assistant Secretary General Abdul Halim said that no final decision has yet been made regarding participation. He favours internal discussion before reaching a conclusion.

Explaining why discussion is necessary, he said Jamaat has demanded constitution reform, while the government is focusing on amendments. This difference, he said, is clear.

Opposition leaders have long alleged that the government is delaying meaningful reform. Against this backdrop, they are considering whether participation in the amendment committee would effectively grant legitimacy to a process they do not fully endorse.

For this reason, Jamaat is not rushing to submit names. Instead, it prefers to observe the evolving political situation and decide its final stance based on broader strategic considerations.