BNP walks out of Consensus Commission discussion on committee for appointments to constitutional bodies
On 25 June, the BNP agreed — with conditions — to a proposal limiting any individual to a maximum of 10 years as prime minister in their lifetime. However, the party protested against the formation of a National Constitutional Council or any similar body for appointing individuals to constitutional and statutory bodies and incorporating it into the Constitution.
The BNP delegation walked out of today's (28 July) session of the National Consensus Commission dialogue, which will focus on appointments to key constitutional bodies — including the Public Service Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, and the Ombudsman.
Today's 20th session began at the Foreign Service Academy on Bailey Road in the capital at 11:30am.
Watch: Salahuddin Ahmed speaks to media after today's NCC meeting
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
While walking out of the discussion on this agenda, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters, "We are walking out for a while. Because we clearly said before that forming appointment committees for certain institutions and incorporating them into the Constitution would create complications in the functioning of the state and the government."
During the walkout, National Citizen Party Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain urged BNP to participate in the discussion for the sake of the nation.
On 25 June, the BNP agreed — with conditions — to a proposal limiting any individual to a maximum of 10 years as prime minister in their lifetime.
However, the party protested against the formation of a National Constitutional Council (NCC) or any similar body for appointing individuals to constitutional and statutory bodies and incorporating it into the Constitution. It also said that it would not participate in the discussion on this topic.
That day, Salahuddin had said, "We agree with the proposal that no individual should serve as prime minister for more than 10 years. However, we do not support the idea of a committee or council for appointments to constitutional and statutory bodies. These two issues are interconnected."
Responding to a question from a political party about BNP's absence during today's discussion on this topic, Consensus Commission Vice Chairman Prof Ali Riaz clarified, "During the session on the Election Commission, BNP explicitly stated — and this is on record — that they would not be participating in discussions related to other institutions."
He further remarked, "If one political party decides not to join, that does not mean we will suspend our discussions. In the past, several parties have walked out or boycotted temporarily, but the dialogue has always continued."
Commenting on today's agenda, Monir Haidar, special assistant to the chief adviser and a Consensus Commission member, noted that parliamentary representation of women would be discussed. If time permits, other topics will also be addressed.
