BNP wants caretaker govt for national polls only; Jamaat, NCP want local elections too
If a wartime situation arises, MPs should be able to vote on it national security issues. This needs to be included in Article 70, he says
The BNP has said it wants national elections under a caretaker government and opposes local polls during this period, while the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) want both national and local elections under a neutral arrangement.
The differing positions were laid out during the second phase of the National Consensus Commission's dialogue with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka today (3 June).
The discussions, chaired by Commission Chairman Ali Riaz, saw participation from nearly 30 political parties, including the BNP, Jamaat, and NCP.
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Speaking to reporters after the meeting, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said, "Our party doesn't want local government elections to be held under a caretaker government."
Salahuddin added that while the Commission had proposed a four-month tenure for the caretaker government, the BNP believed it should not exceed three months.
"The BNP thinks that the tenure of the caretaker government should not exceed three months, although the Commission has proposed four months," he added.
Regarding constitutional reforms, Salahuddin said the BNP has proposed amending Article 70 of the Constitution to allow MPs to vote beyond party lines, except on matters of no confidence, finance bills, constitutional amendments, and national security.
"If a wartime situation arises, MPs should be able to vote on national security issues. This needs to be included in Article 70," he explained.
On parliamentary standing committees, Salahuddin noted that while the Commission had suggested that opposition MPs head all standing committees, the BNP did not agree with this blanket proposal.
"Some committees may be led by the opposition MPs, but making all committee heads from the opposition is not a practical proposal," he said.
Jamaat wants national, local polls under caretaker govt
The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, meanwhile, proposed that both national and local government elections be conducted under a non-partisan caretaker government.
Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said, "Our proposal is that both national and local elections must take place under a caretaker government."
He also expressed support for amending Article 70 to permit MPs to vote beyond their party lines, except on critical issues.
Reserved seats hold women back from: Sarjis
During the discussions, NCP Chief Organiser (North) Sarjis Alam raised concerns over the proposal to increase the number of reserved seats for women from 50 to 100.
He argued that this would not lead to genuine empowerment. "Currently, the reserved seats are actually 'prize postings'. In the past, we have not seen competent individuals being placed in those seats."
He added that his party supports 25% women's representation through elections in general seats.
Regarding the caretaker government's tenure, NCP Joint Convener Sarwar Tusher said his party agreed with the Commission's four-month proposal.
"Some parties support a six-month duration. This matter has not yet been discussed thoroughly. We are flexible about whether the tenure should be three or four months," Sarwar said. "If the local government elections are included, four months might be necessary."
He further emphasised the need for a legally binding mechanism for the National Charter.
'Final reform proposals to reflect parties' opinions'
Ali Riaz, vice-chairman of the Consensus Commission, said the final reform proposals will incorporate feedback from all political parties.
"We want to identify certain areas where all political parties can at least reach a minimum level of consensus, and those points can be preserved," he said. "Only the proposals that receive unanimous consent will be included in the National Charter."
He also said that the discussions will help build a framework for national consensus. "Even if agreement cannot be reached on every issue, we must draw some conclusions, especially considering the constraints of time," he noted. "Our goal is to finalise the National Charter by July."
