PR in upper house won't weaken govt: NCP's Akhtar
The NCP leader noted that the National Consensus Commission has already decided in favour of PR in the upper house based on the majority of the parties’ opinion.
National Citizens' Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain has dismissed the argument that proportional representation (PR) in the upper house would weaken the government.
"The government would be formed on the basis of the majority in the lower house. Claiming that PR in the upper house will make the government weak is nothing but a false narrative," he said at a discussion in Dhaka.
The NCP leader noted that the National Consensus Commission has already decided in favour of PR in the upper house based on the majority of the parties' opinion.
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"Still, some parties are raising lame arguments to mislead the people," he added.
Akhtar also stressed the need for a constitution that can safeguard democracy, uphold people's aspirations, protect voting rights, ensure judicial independence, enforce accountability of those in power, and decentralise authority.
"If we fail to write a new constitution, we cannot amend the existing one endlessly. At any time, it could be challenged in court, which has the authority to strike it down since the 1972 basic structure remains intact. We need a new constitution with a new structure to present before the nation," he said.
The discussion, titled "What kind of constitution do we need to establish democracy in Bangladesh", was held at NCP's youth wing Jatiya Jubo Shakti's office in Banglamotor this evening on the occasion of International Day of Democracy.
NCP Joint Convener Sarwar Tushar and Jubo Shakti Convener Tarikul Islam were also present at the event.
