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Differences among political parties over some reform proposals risk building a consensus on a national charter, potentially delaying the next Jatiya Sangsad elections.

Dialogues hosted by the National Consensus Commission with political parties have already brought the differences on the surface. Most of the major parties have attended at least one round of dialogue as of now since the exchanges of opinions started on March 20.

The parties have diverged sharply on key issues such as the Constitution Reform Commission-proposed concept of ‘pluralism’, the tenure of parliament, the electoral system for reserved women’s seats and the composition of the proposed National Constitutional Council.

They also remain divided over how to implement the proposed reforms, if included in the national charter. Broadly, the parties have suggested either a referendum before the next national election, or simultaneous elections to the national parliament and either a constituent assembly or a constitution-reform assembly.

Legal experts voiced concern that unresolved disagreements may delay the drafting of the national charter and, in turn, the next general elections.

Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·, ‘Especially, the method of implementing the proposed reforms will be a genuine concern in consensus-building.’

Noting that holding a referendum on such wide-ranging issues would be a significant challenge, he commented, ‘Meanwhile, the need for electing a constituent or constitution-reform assembly must be clarified to the voters.’

Since March 20, the NCC has held dialogues with 21 political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party, Amar Bangladesh Party, Ganosamhati Andolan, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Biplobi Communist League, Gana Adhikar Parishad, and National Democratic Movement.

During its meetings with the NCC on April 20 and 22, the BNP opposed the inclusion of ‘pluralism’ and recommended reinstating the phrase ‘absolute trust and faith in Almighty Allah’ as it appeared after the Fifth Amendment to the constitution in 1979.

The BNP suggested adding the sentence — Bangladesh is a country of multiple ethnicities, religions, languages, and cultures, where the coexistence and dignity of all communities will be ensured — under the section on fundamental principles of the constitution.

On April 26, the Jamaat also strongly opposed ‘pluralism’ and recommended ‘complete faith and trust in Almighty Allah’ and ‘religious and social values’ as two among a set of five fundamental principles.

Several other religion-based parties, including the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, echoed the opposition, arguing that the term ‘pluralism’ contradicts the Islamic concept of the oneness of Allah. On April 21, the Khelafat Majlish proposed using ‘multiple thoughts or paths’ as an alternative to the term ‘pluralism’.

The NCP, on April 19, recommended defining ‘pluralism’ as recognition of multiple ethnicities, religions, languages, and cultures. On April 28, the Gana Adhikar Parishad proposed replacing the term with ‘religious harmony’.

In contrast, the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JASOD, and other left-leaning parties recommended retaining ‘secularism’ with no compromise.

The existing constitution’s fundamental principles are nationalism, socialism, secularism, and democracy.

The Constitution Reform Commission has proposed a bicameral parliament with four-year term for both houses. According to the commission, the members of the lower house will be elected through the ‘first-past-the-post’ method while the upper house members will be elected on a ‘proportional representation’ basis.

The BNP, Jamaat, Amar Bangladesh Party, and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD opposed the move, demanding that the current five-year term remains in place.

Regarding the proposed 100 reserved seats for women, the Jamaat favoured the proportional representation method to fill 50 seats while the rest 50 seats, the party wants, should be filled through the existing election method. The BNP, meanwhile, said that the method of electing the 100 women MPs should be determined by the next Jatiya Sangsad.

The Gana Adhikar Parishad and the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh disagreed to the commission’s proposed rotational reservation of the 100 seats as overly complex and requested a revision.

The commission also recommended that a lawmaker should not simultaneously hold more than one of the following positions: prime minister, leader of the Jatiya Sangsad, chief of a political party.

The BNP turned down the proposal, while the Jamaat and the NCP partially agreed to it. The Jamaat proposed allowing up to two roles, while the NCP opposed holding concurrently both prime minister’s and party chief’s posts.

As for the composition of the proposed National Constitutional Council — comprising the president, prime minister, opposition leader, two speakers, chief justice, opposition-nominated deputy speakers, and one unaffiliated member — several parties, including the Jamaat and the Revolutionary Workers Party, opposed including the president and the chief justice.

While the BNP said the next parliament should decide how to implement the reforms, the Jamaat remained undecided. The NCP, since its inception, has been advocating for a constituent assembly to oversee the implementation —a stance most other parties oppose.

The Gana Adhikar Parishad recommended a referendum, while the Ganosamhati Andolan and the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD favoured forming a constitution-reform assembly.

Senior lawyer Shahdeen Malik said that the proposed methods of resolving differences over the bicameral legislature and the electoral process — particularly the proportional representation method — are ‘unrealistic’.

‘For more than a century, the first-past-the-post system has been the popular electoral method in this region. The proposed reforms, especially regarding the electoral and legislative systems, will only be feasible if the methods resonate with citizens,’ he added.

Shahdeen also warned that any delay in the next national election, on the pretext of resolving these challenging issues, could damage the credibility of the interim government.