Vice President of the National Consensus Commission Professor Ali Riaz has expressed optimism that the decisions regarding the proposed July Charter will be finalised and announced by tomorrow.
He made these remarks on Wednesday afternoon during the 22nd day of the commission’s second-phase dialogue with political parties, held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
“We hope to announce the decisions of the July Charter by tomorrow,” said Professor Riaz. “All participating parties have agreed that the fundamental rights of citizens must be expanded.”
He noted that a separate proposal on the expansion of citizens’ fundamental rights has already been distributed to the participants for review.
Referring to the progress made so far, Riaz said, “One of the key responsibilities entrusted to the commission is to reach decisions. We are making efforts to build consensus on these issues without delay.”
He further stated that the recommendations and objections submitted by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have been clearly presented before the commission and are playing a crucial role in shaping the ongoing discussions.
Highlighting specific areas of progress, he said, “Substantial advancement has been made in the discussions on women’s representation in parliament. A written draft on the matter will be shared with all participating parties.” However, he also acknowledged that deliberations regarding the president’s powers and responsibilities, particularly under Article 48(3) of the Constitution, have yet to begin.
Calling for continued support from political parties, he added, “We are counting on the same level of cooperation that you have shown from the very beginning to keep the process moving forward.”
Wednesday’s discussion focused on a range of issues, including women’s representation in parliament, Article 48(3) on presidential authority, the presidential election process, the proposed electoral college, formation and jurisdiction of a potential upper house, methods for selecting its members, proposals for expanding fundamental rights, and the fundamental principles of the state.
Leaders from several political parties including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP) took part in the dialogue.
Members of the National Consensus Commission present at the meeting included Safar Raj Hossain, Badiul Alam Majumdar, Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, and Ayub Mia.