Published : 29 Jul 2025, 07:51 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:34 PM
The BNP's senior leader Salahuddin Ahmed has said his party will not yield to pressure to endorse all reform proposals set forth by the National Consensus Commission, cautioning that “consensus cannot be imposed".
Speaking after a daylong dialogue on Monday, he said the BNP had agreed in principle to proposals consistent with their earlier positions, such as forming an independent search committee for the Election Commission that includes ruling and opposition parties and judiciary representatives.
Salahuddin, a BNP Standing Committee member, warned against undermining executive powers.
“If the executive is held accountable without authority, it weakens governance. If appointments to key institutions are overly restricted, it could obstruct future governments.”
On Monday, the 20th session of the second round of dialogues involving 30 political parties was marred by disputes over the appointment process of constitutional and statutory bodies and the formation of a future caretaker government.
Scheduled discussions on women’s representation in parliament were shelved due to the deadlock.
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince echoed BNP’s concerns over “coercion”, warning that “forced consensus is counterproductive.”
Prince called for contentious issues to be dropped in favour of advancing areas where consensus exists.
“You can’t force everything into a single structure. Every party has a different ideology.”
The BNP briefly walked out of the talks after opposing commission proposals related to appointments to key institutions, including the Public Service Commission (PSC), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), and Ombudsman.
Salahuddin said such appointments must not curtail executive authority. Shortly after, a fire alarm triggered a chaotic evacuation, though the BNP later returned to the session.
Ali Riaz, commission vice-chair, presented the day's topics and later said a consolidated draft charter could be prepared based on party inputs. Parties were asked to submit comments on the draft by Wednesday noon, with finalisation expected the same day.
“[On Monday] we discussed appointment mechanisms for four institutions: PSC, CAG, ACC, and Ombudsman,” Riaz said.
“The proposal seeks to enshrine a neutral appointment process into the constitution.”
The BNP and allied parties prefer legal frameworks over constitutional amendments, but most parties favour amending Article 137 to strengthen the process, he added.
On the caretaker government issue, Riaz said several proposals were floated, including a ranked-choice vote system, open voting, and reverting to the 13th Amendment framework without judicial oversight.
The Jamaat-e-Islami submitted a fresh proposal, which the BNP is reviewing.
“We expect the Jamaat to provide it in writing tonight and hope to make progress when talks resume tomorrow,” said Riaz.
“Reaching a consensus among 30 parties on the caretaker model is our collective responsibility.”
Jamaat deputy chief Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher backed constitutional inclusion of the ACC to prevent future governments from altering its structure for political gain.
“We want no loopholes. Almost three-quarters of parties agree it should be constitutional. Opponents argue change would be difficult, but that’s precisely why we want it embedded in the constitution,” he said.
Taher also outlined Jamaat’s three proposals for forming a caretaker government. If consensus fails on the first two, a ranked-choice voting system with open ballots should be used to curb horse-trading, he suggested.
Akhtar Hossain, secretary of the National Citizen Party, urged the BNP to reconsider its stance on constitutional appointments.
“Every government has politicised institutions over the past 50 years. Neutral, representative search committees are essential for progress.”
He backed the commission’s call to constitutionalise appointments to the PSC and ACC, arguing that legal provisions are more easily manipulated.
“We want merit-based appointments, not political influence. Bangladeshis now support a non-partisan state model.”
Citing the 2018 quota reform movement and public frustration with leaked exams and politicised interviews, he said: “The public wants institutions to serve national, not partisan, interests. That’s the spirit of the post-July Uprising, and we must honour it.”
