The BNP has conditionally agreed to amend the constitution to include a provision that no individual can serve as prime minister for more than ten years.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed stated, “Our party’s stance is clear—no individual should hold the office of Prime Minister for more than 10 years in their lifetime. This is a popular public opinion, and the BNP supports it.”
He made these remarks while responding to journalists after a meeting with the National Consensus Commission at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Wednesday.
“Seeing one person’s authoritarianism should not lead to completely stripping the executive branch of power. Instead, ensuring a balance of responsibilities and accountability at all levels of the state is more crucial. What was once the National Constitutional Council (NCC) is now the SASONIK (“Appointment Committee for Constitutional and Statutory Institutions). We want some fundamental issues to be incorporated into it,” he added.
The BNP leader said, “If the executive branch is entirely controlled through a constitutional appointments committee, we will not support it.”
Salahuddin Ahmed stated that the BNP’s position is clear on upholding equality, human dignity, social justice, democracy, and religious freedom and harmony in the fundamental principles of state policy under the constitution.
While the BNP agrees with retaining the articles adopted in the Fifth Amendment and adding additional sentences as proposed by the Reform Commission, discussions have been suspended due to a lack of consensus on earlier proposals concerning Articles 8, 9, 10, and 12.
He clarified that the BNP would not accept any appointments committee or NCC-like body that interferes in all activities of the executive branch. “We want to proceed with 31-point reforms to establish a balanced state structure and democratic reforms,” he said.
Criticising the current Election Commission formation law under Articles 118 and 119 of the constitution as “defective,” the BNP leader said, “We want to make the search committee more transparent and effective under this law, and criminal liability provisions should be added to ensure the commission’s accountability.”
He further stated that the president’s appointment process would only be effective if the search committee works impartially. “If a single person is recommended solely by the search committee, the very rationale of the search committee is lost,” he remarked.
The BNP leader said, “Democracy will only strengthen if the Anti-Corruption Commission, Human Rights Commission, Election Commission, and judiciary can function independently. Where press freedom is greater, democracy is stronger—we believe Bangladesh is gradually progressing in this regard.”
He emphasised that weakening the executive branch would not solve the problem of establishing an effective democracy; instead, a strong state structure must be built by ensuring checks and balances.