The Islami Andolan Bangladesh in a meeting with the National Consensus Commission on Wednesday demanded Shariah Court for every tier of the country鈥檚 judiciary, and the next Jatiya Sangsad elections after local government elections.
The IAB leaders also said that the next general election should be held after 鈥榥ecessary鈥� basic reforms.
The Nagorik Oikya, in a separate meeting with the NCC, demanded that the upper house of the proposed bicameral must be composed of politicians instead of civil society representatives.
In a press briefing after the dialogue with the NCC, IAB senior joint secretary general Gazi Ataur Rahman said, 鈥楶arties in disputes may choose the Shariah Court if they want.鈥�
Although he claimed that Shariah Court would speed up the trial process, he did not suggest the ways if one of the conflicting parties disagreed with the trial in Shariah Court.
In November 2024, Andaleeve Rahman Partho-led Bangladesh Jatiya Party also proposed the establishment of Shariah law-based Islamic Courts through the constitution.聽
The consensus commission began holding dialogues on March 20 and has so far met 25 political parties. The focus of the dialogues was on the reforms proposals of several commissions that the interim government formed after the August 2024 overthrow of the Awami League government.聽聽
IAB leader Ataur said that his party wanted 鈥榥ecessary鈥� basic reforms before the next national election and would not accept the idea of holding the next general election after holding 鈥榤inimum鈥� reforms.
He said that they strongly recommended holding local government elections before every Jatiya Sangsad elections.
He said that the elected local government representatives would complete their tenure if any Jatiya Sangsad failed to complete its tenure.
The IAB also recommended proportional representation in both of the proposed bicameral Jatiya Sangsad.
The party recommended 鈥楤angladesh Welfare State鈥� as the country鈥檚 constitutional name and demanded repealing the Official Secrets Act 1923. Of the proposed reforms by the commissions, the party disagreed with 鈥榩luralism鈥�, the election of the chairman of only by the elected members of a local government body and the president鈥檚 power to pardon convicted persons.
Replying to a question of what would be the safeguard for the non-Muslims if the constitution neither guarantees 鈥榮ecularism鈥� nor 鈥榩luralism鈥�, the IAB leader said, 鈥楧emocracy and equality, as two of the fundamental principles, will be enough for them鈥�.聽聽聽聽聽
In another meeting, the Nagorik Oikya mostly discussed the composition of the proposed bicameral Jatiya Sangsad.
The party delegation led by the party general secretary Shahidullah Kaiser opposed representation from the 鈥榰nelected鈥� civil society in the upper house.
Talking to journalists, the party organising secretary Sakib Anwar said that proportional representation of political parties in the upper house must be ensured by a minimum of one per cent of the party鈥檚 casting votes.
The Nagorik Oikya also opposed the reform of Article 70 that limits party-nominated lawmakers鈥� independence in parliamentary debates.
Bhasani Anusary Parishad is scheduled to take part in the dialogue today.
The consensus commission has been assigned to draft a national charter following the dialogues and a political consensus on the state reforms.