Akhter Hossen, member secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has called on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to support the formation of non-partisan appointment committees for all constitutional bodies, not just the Election Commission.
He made these remarks on Monday during a brief break in the 20th-day session of the second phase of talks between political parties and the National Consensus Commission, held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
“We have seen over the past 50 years how partisan appointments have weakened constitutional institutions in Bangladesh,” said Akhter Hossen. “If the Election Commission had been appointed neutrally in the past, we would not have witnessed one-sided, voter-less elections like those in 2014, 2018, and 2024. A truly impartial Commission would have been accountable to the nation, not to a specific party.”
He praised the BNP for agreeing to a non-partisan recruitment process for the Election Commission but questioned why the party has not taken the same position regarding other bodies like the Public Service Commission, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, and the Ombudsman.
“BNP was a direct victim of electoral injustice and could not return to power due to one-sided elections. That’s why they now want a neutral Election Commission. But because they haven’t been similarly affected by other institutions, are they unwilling to support non-partisan reforms there too?” he asked.
Akhter emphasised that agreeing to non-partisan appointment committees does not mean compromising party principles. “BNP has already taken a positive step by changing its position on the Election Commission. We urge them to show the same commitment for other key institutions.’
Monday’s meeting focused on discussions around the Public Service Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Ombudsman, and women’s representation in Parliament.
A total of 28 political parties and two alliances, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, took part in the session.
Members of the National Consensus Commission present at the meeting included Safar Raj Hossain, Badiul Alam Majumdar, Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, and Ayub Mia.