The majority of the 30 political parties on Monday agreed that a lawmaker could hold dual roles as the prime minister and as the leader of the parliament, but should not simultaneously serve as the chief of a political party.
During the National Consensus Commission鈥檚 second-round dialogue session at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, more than one party also opposed replacing the existing constitutional principles of nationalism, secularism, and socialism with the NCC-proposed values of equality, social justice, human dignity, religious freedom, and harmony.
The session was, however, abruptly adjourned聽 midway after the breaking of the news of a jet crash on the campus of Milestone School and College in the capital鈥檚 Uttara area.
NCC vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz and other commission members, along with attending political leaders, expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.
Earlier in the session, discussions began on whether one individual could simultaneously serve as the prime minister, the leader of the parliament, and the chief of a political party.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed reiterated his party鈥檚 position, saying that the prime minister should also serve as the leader of the parliament to ensure the legislature functions effectively.
鈥楾here should be flexibility to allow a party chief to become the prime minister. The ruling party should decide which of their lawmakers is going to be the prime minister,鈥� he added.
In contrast, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami鈥檚 assistant general secretary Hamidur Rahman Azad said that his party opposed the prime minister鈥檚 dual roles - as the party chief and as the prime minister.
A person becomes an autocrat while working as the prime minister and a party chief, said Tipu Biswas, the chief coordinator of the Jatiya Gano Front.
Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod presidium member Mushtuq Hosain said that the prime minister could be the leader of the parliament, but must not hold the post of a party chief.
Amar Bangladesh Party, Gano Forum, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Khelafat Majlis, Nizam e Islami Party, Rashtra Sangskar Andolan, among others, also supported that the prime minister and the leader of the parliament could be the same person.
Representatives of the parties strongly recommended that the prime minister must not hold the position of a party chief.
The National Citizen Party earlier recommended three separate individuals for the posts of the prime minister, the leader of the parliament and a party chief.
However, during Monday鈥檚 session, NCP鈥檚 joint convener Javed Rasin said that a party chief must resign from the post before taking oath as the prime minister.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh, the Socialist Party of Bangladesh and the SPB (Marxist) representatives supported that a party chief must not be the prime minister.
They, however, recommended that this provision should not be included in the constitution.
鈥楾his should be a part of reforms in the political organisations, instead of the constitution,鈥� said Masud Rana, chief convener of the SPB (Marxist).
At one point, BNP鈥檚 Salahuddin requested that the NCC record his party鈥檚 opposition to disqualifying a party chief to become the prime minister as a note of dissent if the majority of parties recommended otherwise.
In reply, the NCC vice-chair Ali Riaz said that the commission was not willing to reach a consensus with descending notes. He postponed the discussion until the lunch break was over.
Ali Riaz then brought up the next agenda, the state鈥檚 fundamental principles, for discussion.
He said that the majority of the parties earlier agreed to mention equality, social justice, human dignity, religious freedom and harmony, besides the existing democracy as the fundamental principles.
Replying to Ali Riaz, BNP鈥檚 Salahuddin said that religious freedom and harmony were already guaranteed in the constitution鈥檚 articles 28 and 41.
鈥楽till then, our party is fully supporting the proposed fundamental principles,鈥� Salahuddin said.
However, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh general secretary Saiful Huq and CPB鈥檚 general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince strongly opposed any replacement of the existing fundamental principles 鈥� nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism.
鈥楾he proposed principles could be added to the existing ones,鈥� Prince said.
As the news of the Bangladesh Air Force鈥檚 jet crash at Uttara鈥檚 Milestone School and College campus reached the commission, the NCC vice-chair adjourned Monday鈥檚 session.
