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Published : 15 Jul 2025, 08:02 PM
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has called for a constitutional amendment to permanently entrench the caretaker government system, proposing that no future government be allowed to alter it without holding a national referendum.
The party argued that this safeguard is necessary to prevent any unilateral change to the non-partisan election-time framework.
Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said: “We want the amendment on the caretaker government to be strong, so no one can meddle with it in the future.”
He added, “If anyone wishes to alter the caretaker government provision, we propose that it must go through a referendum.”
The briefing followed the BNP’s formal talks with the National Consensus Commission earlier in the day.
Salahuddin said Tuesday’s discussions focused on the proposal for a bicameral parliament, though consensus was lacking on the election process for both chambers.
“Most political parties agree in principle to having a bicameral parliament,” he said. “But there are deep disagreements on how it should be formed and what its functions and powers should be.”
Explaining the BNP’s position, Salahuddin said the party had proposed a second chamber based on its existing 31-point framework.
“We suggested forming it with prominent citizens from various sectors -- political scientists, sociologists, and contributors to nation-building -- as well as representatives from marginalised communities.”
He noted that one idea being debated was to form the upper house in the same way as the current reserved seats for women, but that had stirred significant controversy.
“There are differing views on whether to adopt a proportional representation model, meaning seats based on vote share,” he said.
“There’s also the issue of the power function, how ordinary bills would be passed, and how the upper house would participate in constitutional amendments. These matters were widely discussed, but there was no consensus.”
Salahuddin said several parties had questioned whether Bangladesh even needed a second chamber, given its financial limitations.
“Concerns were raised about whether our economy can support another chamber,” he said.
“If it simply replicates the lower house, it will be an expensive body, much like the first one.”
He noted that the commission will deliver its decision next Sunday after considering all parties’ positions.
“Once the commission announces its decision, we will respond accordingly, either with approval or objections,” Salahuddin said.
