Most political parties on Sunday agreed to limit the tenure of the prime minister, but a complete consensus was not reached.
The parties also favoured adopting equality, social justice, and human dignity as fundamental principles of the state.
But the divergence in their interpretations and procedural approaches stalled the sixth-day discussion of the second round dialogue under the National Consensus Commission, prompting the comission vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz to adjourn the session attended by 30 political parties.
The dialogue session was as usual held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. The issue of limiting the prime minister鈥檚 tenure dominated the opening discussion, which began at 11:00am.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said that his party agreed on two consecutive terms, adding that their decision on the PM鈥檚 tenure depended on the formation of a proposed National Constitutional Council and the electoral process for a bicameral Jatiya Sangsad.
In Sunday鈥檚 meeting, BNP鈥檚 Salahuddin made a fresh suggestion that a year-based limit might be more pragmatic than a term-based one.
Earlier in the first-round NCC dialogue, the BNP agreed on a two-consecutive-term cap, but with an option for the two-term PM鈥檚 re-appointment after a gap.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nayeb-e-ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher also proposed a 10-year cap.
National Citizen Party joint convener Zaved Rasin and Rashtra Sanskar Andolan leader Syed Hasibuddin Hossain questioned the BNP鈥檚 logic behind linking the PM鈥檚 tenure to other issues.
In the Sunday鈥檚 meeting, National Democratic Party聽 secretary general Mominul Amin, National People鈥檚 Party chair Fariduzzaman Farhad, Bangladesh Labour Party chair Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Jamiat Ulama-e Islam secretary general Maulna Manjurul Islam Afandi, Aam Janata Dal leader Sadhana Mahal backed the previous proposal from the BNP on the issue of PM鈥檚 term.
The Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh general secretary Saiful Huq and Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz expressed support for a lifetime two-term limit.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh senior joint secretary general Gazi Ataur Rahman dismissed the debate as irrelevant, arguing that a competent PM should not be bound by any time limit.
As politicians were getting stuck to a single point for an extended period of time, Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince warned against backtracking on earlier points of consensus, while Amar Bangladesh Party joint general secretary Suny Abdul Haque expressed frustration over the delays.
Amid requests from several politicians, including Ganosamhati Andolan chief convener Zonayed Saki, NCC vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz deferred the discussion until Wednesday to allow parties time to review the issue in their respective party forums and refine their positions.
After the lunch break, the focus shifted to reforming the fundamental principles of the constitution.
In 2011, the Awami League-led parliament passed the 15th amendment to the constitution, reinstating democracy, nationalism, secularism, and socialism as the fundamental principles, which were introduced in the 1972 constitution.
Citing outcomes of the NCC鈥檚 first-round dialogue, Ali Riaz said on Sunday that the proposed fundamental principles of the reformed constitution included religious liberty and harmony, along with the reform commission鈥檚 earlier recommendations of equality, social justice, human dignity, and democracy.
Political parties, including the CPB, SPB, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, and Jatiyo Gono Front, backed maintaining the existing fundamental principles and adding to those the commission-proposed ones.
On the contrary, religion-based parties like the IAB, Islami Oikya Jote, Khelafat Majlish, and Nezam-e-Islami voted for upholding 鈥榓bsolute trust in Allah鈥� and removing 鈥榮ecularism鈥� and 鈥榮ocialism鈥�.
Opposition to the existing four principles was voiced by NCP鈥檚 Zaved Rasin, who dismissed the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman-era ideals, while IAB鈥檚 Gazi Ataur Rahman viewed that secularism no longer matched the belief of the majority of Muslims in the country.
Meanwhile, parties like the Ganosamhati Andolan, Rashtra Sanskar Andolan, and Nagorik Oikya turned down any move towards a majoritarian state.
BNP鈥檚 Salahuddin proposed amending these principles in the future, depending on electoral mandates.
In the earlier meetings, the BNP recommended fundamental principles outlined by the fifth amendment to the constitution in 1979 that removed 鈥榮ecularism鈥� from the 1972 constitution and inserted in it 鈥榓bsolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah鈥�.
Jamaat鈥檚 Taher supported both 鈥榓bsolute trust in Allah鈥� and the reform commission-proposed fundamental principles. He suggested that a referendum might offer the ultimate resolution.
Despite Jamaat鈥檚 Taher asserting that most parties supported the commission鈥檚 proposed fundamental principles, CPB鈥檚 Ruhin Hossain Prince and SPB鈥檚 Bazlur Rashid Firoz requested the NCC to avoid a hasty move to reach consensus on this 鈥榟ighly鈥� debatable issue.
With no agreement reached on both the issues, NCC vice-chair Ali Riaz adjourned the session at 5:00pm.
The NCC would not hold any session on Monday and Tuesday, said Ali Riaz.
