Majority of parties agree same person shouldn't hold PM, party chief roles: Ali Riaz

Nearly three-fourths of the political parties and alliances in talks with the National Consensus Commission have agreed that the roles of prime minister and party chief should not be held by the same individual, commission vice chair Professor Ali Riaz said today.

Speaking to reporters after the 17th day of the second-round dialogue held at the Foreign Services Academy in Dhaka, Prof Riaz noted that while discussions on the caretaker government system have made progress, full consensus has yet to be reached.

"Some parties expressed dissent regarding the separation of the prime ministerial and party leadership roles. We've allowed them to submit a 'note of dissent' in the national charter, and also urged them to reconsider their stance," he said.

Today's dialogue also covered other key issues including reforms in the appointment process of constitutional bodies.

Earlier in the day, the commission adopted a motion of condolence over the tragic fighter jet crash at Milestone School and College premises, which claimed at least 31 lives including children.

Professor Ali Riaz said based on various parties' inputs, the commission presented a consolidated proposal recommending a neutral caretaker system during elections, with the chief adviser to be appointed through a process involving elected representatives.

Following that, the BNP submitted an amendment proposal, raising objections to the structure of the proposed appointment committee and its decision-making process – particularly the "ranked choice" method.

"We believe this method will not lead to a deadlock, but several parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, have disagreed," said Prof Riaz.

He said the BNP has proposed that if the appointment committee fails to unanimously nominate a chief adviser, the country should revert to the original caretaker system under the 13th amendment.

However, they suggested scrapping the president's authority to make the final decision and instead proposed nominating from among retired chief justices, Prof Riaz said.

Discussions on the appointment process for constitutional and statutory bodies – particularly the Election Commission – began in the latter part of today's dialogue.

According to the commission's proposal, a five-member appointment committee would be formed, comprising three elected public representatives, one Appellate Division judge nominated by the chief justice, and one representative of the president.

While some political parties responded positively to the proposal, no final decision was reached. Detailed discussions on the matter are scheduled to continue later.

The commission also proposed that the appointment procedures for other key institutions – such as the Public Service Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), and the Ombudsman – be clearly outlined in the constitution. A proposal was also made to elevate the ACC to the status of a constitutional body.

Condolence over Milestone tragedy

At the end of today's briefing, Professor Ali Riaz expressed deep condolences for the victims of the fighter jet crash in Uttara's Milestone School and College premises and urged the government to compensate the affected families.

"This loss is irreparable. However, it is essential to ensure proper medical care for the injured," he said. "A thorough investigation must be conducted, and the government should take effective measures to prevent such incidents in the future."

He also called on citizens to stand by the injured and support the grieving families. "This was a horrific tragedy that claimed many lives. We must all share in this grief," Riaz said.