Political parties on Sunday failed to reach a consensus on key issues, including the duration of the caretaker government and the holding of multiple key positions, such as prime minister, by a single individual.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) wants a 90-day duration for the caretaker government, while other parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), prefer 120 days.
Regarding the issue of one person holding multiple positions, the BNP termed it as an internal matter of the party, while Jamaat and the NCP advocate for changes to the provision.
The discussions took place on the 15th day of the second phase of talks between the National Constitutional Commission (NCC) and political parties. Around 30 political parties participated in the talks at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.
Emerging from the meeting, NCC Vice Chairman Ali Riaz told reporters that they had discussed the process of forming the caretaker government.
He said the commission presented a revised and unified proposal to the parties, outlining the procedures for appointing the caretaker government’s chief adviser.
“Despite day-long discussions, no breakthrough emerged on either the structure of the caretaker government or the issue of one person holding more than one top position,” he said.
“The political parties will present their opinions to the commission after discussions in their respective party forums. We hope to reach a consensus on the issue within a day or two,” he added.
Another point of discussion was whether a party leader should also be allowed to serve as prime minister. Parties such as the NCP and the Biplabi Workers Party objected to this, arguing that it would empower an individual to exercise too much power.
Brushing aside this claim, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said, “Being a party chief does not automatically make someone the prime minister. But they should not be barred from the role either. It’s a matter of democratic rights.”
He added that the BNP believes the parliamentary party should decide whether a party chief can become prime minister.
Salahuddin also revealed that various models for appointing the chief adviser of the caretaker government were discussed.
“Most parties supported forming a selection committee comprising the current prime minister, the opposition leader, and a representative from the third-largest party. If needed, ranked-choice voting could be used to finalise the appointment,” he explained.
Jamaat supported the idea of the same person serving as both prime minister and leader of parliament. Naib-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher presented Jamaat’s proposal for a five-member caretaker government, comprising two members each from the ruling and opposition parties, and one from the third-largest parliamentary group.
The NCP, on the other hand, pushed for a complete separation of leadership roles to encourage political diversity. NCP senior joint convener Arifur Islam Adib argued that concentrating leadership in one person limits opportunities for others.
“When the same person is party chief, head of government, and leader of parliament, other voices are sidelined. Even aspiring MPs lose hope, as one individual controls nomination,” he said.
Adib also elaborated on the NCP’s earlier proposal for peaceful power transfer, submitted two months ago.
“We proposed a 5-to-11-member committee to select the head of the caretaker government. This committee would take nominations from the ruling party, the opposition, and the third-largest party in Parliament.”