Special committee holds talks with BNP, other parties on constitutional reforms
- Rashtra Sangskar Andolon Walks Out Midway
- Jamaat and Other Opposition Parties Boycott
The National Parliament’s Special Committee on Constitutional Amendment held talks with leaders of political parties and alliances that signed the July Charter. Opposition parties, including Jamaat e Islami and NCP, along with several other parties, did not take part in the discussion.
The committee’s second meeting was held yesterday in the cabinet room of the National Parliament building. BNP’s Acting Secretary General Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and the party’s Standing Committee member Mr. Nazrul Islam Khan took part in the discussion.
Representatives of other parties also attended, including Gono Odhikar Parishad, Nagorik Oikya, Rashtra Sangskar Andolon, NDM, Aamjanatar Dal, Bhashani Janashakti Party, Jatiotabadi Samomona Jote, Jamiat Ulama e Islam, Gono Forum, and Gono Sanghati Andolon. Members of the special committee, led by Home Minister Mr. Salahuddin Ahmed, were present at the meeting.
The special committee’s first meeting was held on August 4. At that meeting, it was decided to hold discussions with stakeholders, including political parties, constitutional experts, lawyers, and media editors. Yesterday’s meeting was held as part of that process.
Meanwhile, the opposition wants a Constitution Reform Council formed to implement the constitution related reform proposals of the July National Charter, in line with the referendum result. Since this council has not been formed, the opposition does not want to take part in any government initiative on constitutional amendment. They also did not send representatives to the special committee itself.
Parties within the Jamaat e Islami and NCP led 11 party alliance that lack parliamentary representation also refuse to take part in the constitutional amendment process in any way. This is why these parties skipped the discussion. Separately, the Islami Oikya Jote also did not attend the meeting.
During the interim government’s tenure, the July National Charter was drawn up after discussions with 30 political parties and alliances aimed at reform across various areas of the state. Constitutional experts were also consulted at that time. Four leftist parties did not sign the charter. In total, 26 political parties and alliances signed it, of which eight parties are now part of the 11 party alliance.
Of the 84 reform proposals in the July Charter, 48 relate to the constitution. To implement these, the interim government issued the July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order. A referendum on the reform proposals was held alongside the parliamentary election. Since the “yes” vote won, the order called for forming a Constitution Reform Council made up of members of the 13th National Parliament and completing constitutional reform work within 180 working days.
However, after forming the government, BNP did not form this Reform Council, and its own members did not take oath as council members. Instead, on July 13, the National Parliament formed a 12 member Special Committee on Constitutional Amendment, chaired by Home Minister Mr. Salahuddin Ahmed. The committee sought five representatives from the opposition, but they did not provide any names. The opposition also rejected the committee itself.
Rashtra Sangskar Andolon Walks Out of Meeting Midway
Protesting the government’s failure to form the Constitution Reform Council, Rashtra Sangskar Andolon walked out midway through the special committee’s discussion session.
Two representatives of Rashtra Sangskar Andolon joined the meeting but left before it ended. Mr. Hasnat Kaiyum, president of Rashtra Sangskar Andolon, said they thanked the special committee for the invitation to the discussion, but walked out in protest of the failure to form the Constitution Reform Council as required by the July National Charter Implementation Order.
He said they also raised a demand during the meeting, that the Implementation Order called for completing constitutional reform within 180 days, and that deadline is still in effect. He said the Constitution Reform Council should be formed on the basis of consensus, after discussion with everyone involved.
One item on the meeting’s agenda was the committee’s discussion with leaders of the political parties and alliances that signed the July National Charter. Ahead of the meeting, the special committee had sent letters inviting two representatives each, at the president and secretary general level, from the various parties and alliances.
