National Consensus Commission meeting begins, Jamaat returns to the table

Jamaat-e-Islami had previously “boycotted” the discussion on Tuesday

The National Consensus Commission is meeting once again. This time Jamaat-e-Islami, which “boycotted” the discussions on Tuesday, will be participating.

The meeting began at 11am on Wednesday at the Foreign Service Academy on Dhaka’s Bailey Road. It is being held behind closed doors, but the talks are being broadcast live on BTV.

It is the third day of the second round of the commission’s meetings.

Article 70 of the Constitution, parliamentary standing committees, women's seats in parliament, the recommendations of the Electoral Reform Commission, presidential elections, the National Constitutional Council, and district coordinators are part of the discussions on Wednesday's agenda.

The meeting was attended by leaders from 30 political parties, including BNP's Salahuddin Ahmed, Ismail Zabihullah, and Borhan Uddin Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami's Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Rafiqul Islam Khan, and Hamidur Rahman Azad, Jatiya Ganofront's Tipu Biswas, Khilafat Majlis's Ahmed Abdul Kader, Bangladesh Revolutionary Workers Party's Saiful Haque, CPB's Ruhin Hossain Prince, BAS's Bazlur Rashid, AB Party's Asaduzzaman Mujibur Rahman Manju, National Republic Party's Tasnim Zara and Sarwar Tushar, Labour Party's Mostafizur Rahman, Jatiya Party's Syed Ehsanul Huda, LDP's Redwan Ahmed, BLDP's Shahdat Hossain Selim, JSD's Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan, and Bangladesh JSD's Mostaq Hossain.

Prof Ali Riaz, vice chairman of the commission, is presiding over the meeting with commission members Badiul Alam Mazumdar, Ayub Mia, Safar Raj Hossain, retired justices Emdadul Haque, and Iftekharruzzaman. Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor (Consensus) Monir Haider is also in attendance.

The first meeting of the National Consensus Commission’s second round of talks with political parties was held on Jun 3, before the Eid holidays.