A Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami delegation led by its nayeb-e-ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher on Saturday said that their party has opposed the inclusion of the country鈥檚 president and chief justice in the proposed national constitutional council.
鈥楥onsidering the roles of聽 the president and the chief justice during a state of emergency, we have recommended that they be excluded from the proposed constitutional council,鈥� Taher told journalists after the Jamaat鈥檚 first-day dialogue with the National Consensus Commission at the LD Auditorium at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the capital Dhaka.
A key leader of the party, Taher said the delegation could not complete their discussion on the day.
He added that they have stressed on proportional representation at the next parliament.
鈥榃e have agreed to the proposed bicameral parliament. We have, however, recommended holding elections for the 50 reserved women seats in the traditional method and proportional representation for the remaining 50 reserved women seats,鈥� Taher said.
The Constitutional Reform Commission has proposed a national constitutional council comprising the president, prime minister, opposition leader, two speakers of the two chambers of a bicameral parliament, chief justice, opposition-nominated deputy speakers and one parliament member who does not belong either to the treasury bench or the opposition.
The reform commission has also proposed 100 reserved women seats in the lower house or National Assembly of the Jatiya Sangsad.
The Jamaat leader also said that their party has agreed to the commission鈥檚 recommendation for a person鈥檚 maximum two tenures as prime minister in their lifetime.聽聽
On March 5, the NCC, which had meanwhile compiled key recommendations from the commissions聽 on constitution, electoral system, judiciary, public administration, and ACC reform, distributed a 166-point questionnaire to 39 political parties for their opinions on the recommendations.
The questionnaire offered six implementation options, including reform through ordinances or a referendum before or during the next national elections, through a constituent assembly, or through constitutional reform after the elections, or through a parliament which will first work as a constituent assembly and then as a regular legislature.
Replying to a question, Taher said Jamaat will later reveal which methods it prefers for implementing the consensus-based reform proposals.
Earlier, at 11:00am, when the dialogue began, NCC vice-chair Ali Riaz praised Jamaat activists鈥� contributions to the July-August uprising.
He said, 鈥楤y adopting reforms, we aspire to build a country where people will neither be deprived of their rights nor subjected to extrajudicial killings or any form of oppression.鈥�
Delivering his introductory speech, Taher urged politicians to remain cautious so that the freedom achieved through the July-August uprising does not fail like the previous achievements.聽
He said people of this land became independent in 1947 but could not enjoy the freedom.
鈥業n 1971, after a long struggle, fight and war, and after sacrificing many lives, we have achieved independence, but we were not truly free. Through the July-August 鈥榬evolution鈥�, we have gained a second independence or a new Bangladesh, but how truly free we have become, only time will say,鈥� he said.
Till Saturday, the NCC held dialogues with 17 political parties. Today, delegations from the Ganosamhati Andolon and the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD are expected to meet the NCC.
