- The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) has called for national elections to be held first, arguing that any reform agenda—including constitutional amendments — should be adopted by an elected parliament.
The party made the recommendation during a meeting with officials from the National Consensus Commission held on Tuesday at the LD Hall in the Jatiya Sangsad complex, Dhaka.
CPB leaders expressed concern that undertaking constitutional reforms under an unelected administration is inappropriate and lacks legitimacy.
They also alleged that the commission’s current approach attempts to replace the legacy of Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War with the 2024 anti-discrimination movement.
This is unacceptable, party leaders said during the four-hour dialogue. An 11-member delegation led by CPB President Shah Alam took part in the discussion.
CPB General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said, “We reminded the commission that our party’s ultimate goal is to establish socialism — where everyone works according to their ability and corruption is eliminated from society.”
He urged the commission to defer any final reform proposals until after a new parliament is elected.
“Who will take responsibility for these reform proposals that we agree? Ultimately, it is the people who must decide,” Prince said.
“We cannot gather people in a stadium and claim to represent the public will. The proper way is to hold free and fair elections.”
Prince emphasized that any consensus reached now must be implemented by an elected parliament.
“Bangladesh was achieved through a long struggle culminating in the Liberation War in 1971,” he said. But true democracy was remained elusive leading to mass uprisings in 1990 and 2024.
“Our foundation is 1971 — it reflects the people’s aspirations. But it seems the commission is trying to replace that with the July 2024 uprising.”
“We believe this is unfair,” he said adding that the spirit of both the Liberation War and the 2024 movement must be acknowledged.