Chief adviser urges political parties to reach consensus over reforms

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today (15 February) urged the political parties to reach a consensus in implementing the proposals placed by six reform commissions. 

"The six reform commissions tried their best in providing recommendations to build a new Bangladesh...now our tasks are how and how much we will accept and implement those," he said in his opening speech at the first meeting of the National Consensus Commission with the political parties at Foreign Service Academy this afternoon. 

"Today's discussion will be realistic one, not academic, over the reform proposals," Dr Yunus said.

He said if they can utilise the opportunity that has come to build a new Bangladesh, the nation will remember them from generation to generation.

"It is the responsibility of the political parties to determine what would be the structure of the society and how those would be implemented," he added.

Recalling the martyrs, injured and fighters of the July uprising, the chief adviser said the opportunity to build a new Bangladesh has come. 

Students and mass people and all should work together to make the sacrifice of students and people a success, he said. 

"Those who sacrificed their lives had directed us to formulate new laws to build a new Bangladesh," he said.

He said the experience of last six months has made all courageous. People from all walks of life have given their full support to the interim government.

"If this unity is maintained, none will be able to halt them from building the new Bangladesh," he observed.

"The people who were driven out by the countrymen are now keen to return home. So, all should remain alert so that they can't return," he said.

On Thursday, the interim government formed the seven-member 'National Consensus Commission', led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, to discuss with the political parties on the recommendations of the six commissions aimed at reaching to a consensus on a number of political, constitutional and electoral reform agenda.

The other members of the commission are Prof Ali Riaz, head of the Constitutional Reform Commission; Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, head of Public Administration Reform Commission; Safar Raj Hossain, head of Police Reform Commission; Badiul Alam Majumder, head of Election Reform Commission; Justice Emdadul Haque, head of Judiciary Reform Commission; and Dr Iftekharuzzaman, head of Anti-Corruption Reform Commission.

The National Consensus Commission will complete its consensus building tasks within its six-month tenure.

The Chief Adviser's Office (CAO) is providing secretarial service to the commission.