The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) has opposed rewriting the constitution and proposed the introduction of a proportional representation (PR) system in national parliamentary elections.
CPB president Mohammad Shah Alam made the statement after a meeting with the National Consensus Commission, held at the LD Hall of the national parliament on Tuesday. The meeting began at 10:30 am and continued until 2:00 pm.
Speaking to the media, Shah Alam said, “They (the consensus commission) did not retain our four fundamental principles (in constitution). We disagreed on that point. In short, we are against rewriting the constitution.”
Referring to the mass uprising in 2024, Shah Alam said it was rooted in an anti-dictatorship sentiment, not in opposition to the liberation war or the 1972 constitution. “These issues were brought up later, creating unnecessary controversy. I urged them not to get involved in that controversy. If it is done, the consensus commission would get itself in the controversy.”
He reaffirmed their support for major structural reforms and emphasised their strong opposition to any move toward constitutional reform that seeks to revert the country to its previous state in 1947.
CPB general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said the three-and-a-half-hour meeting discussed reforms to the constitution, the election commission, and the Anti-Corruption Commission. He noted that the CPB had disagreements with the consensus commission on several issues.
They, however, agreed on two-term prime ministership for an individual, increasing the number of seats reserved for women, introducing direct elections to those seats, and strengthening parliamentary democracy, said Ruhin Hossain.
He added that they proposed constitutional recognition of ethnic communities, recognition of basic necessities of life as a fundamental right, and making the state responsible for ensuring those necessities. The party also strongly recommended introducing a proportional representation system in elections.
Underscoring the need for reforms by an elected parliament, Ruhin Hossain said, “Since the upcoming national election is our main issue, no controversial issue should be brought up that might delay it. Therefore, we want to move forward to the election after reforming the electoral system as soon as possible.”
The 11-member CPB delegation included assistant general secretary Mihir Ghosh; presidium members Professor AN Rasheda; Kazi Sajjad Zahir Chandan, Aniruddha Das Anjan, central committee leaders Kazi Ruhul Amin, Ragib Ahsan Munna, Sajedul Haque Rubel, Abid Hossain, and Professor Fazlur Rahman.
On the other side, National Consensus Commission vice-chairman Professor Ali Riaz and members Justice Md Emdadul Haque, Badiul Alam Majumder, Safar Raj Hossain, and Iftekharuzzaman were present. Monir Haider, special assistant to the chief adviser (consensus development), moderated the session.