The National Consensus Commission on Tuesday finally placed to the interim government the road map -- having two plans -- to implement 48 constitution-related reform proposals contained in the July National Charter 2025.
Key recommendations
- July National Charter Implementation (Reform of Constitution) Order to be issued
- Order not to mention dissenting notes on reform proposals
- Referendum to be held before or along with JS elections
- Constitution Reform Assembly must implement reforms within 270 days
- Additional 45 days to be granted for Upper House formation
At noon, interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, also the NCC chair, received the road map at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka.
After submitting the road map, commission vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz briefed journalists at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
鈥楾he commission expects that politicians who signed the July Charter will implement the reform proposals to honour the martyrs of the July uprising that has created an enormous opportunity to embrace a new Bangladesh,鈥� Ali Riaz said.聽
The major reform proposals included the issuance of The July National Charter (Reform of Constitution) Implementation Order 2025 by the interim government, a referendum under the order, the next Jatiya Sangsad鈥檚 dual role also as a聽 Constitution Reform Assembly, and implementing 48 constitution-related reforms within 270 days of forming the Jatiya Sangsad.
However, an additional 45 days -- maximum -- would be granted to form a 100-member upper house, as the commission recommended.
The distribution of the upper house seats would be according to proportional representation based on shared votes obtained in the 13th JS elections.
According to the road map, the 2024 July uprising would be considered the legal basis of the implementation order.
The commission suggested a draft of the implementation order which includes a set of 48 constitution-related reform proposals, incorporated in the charter, as a schedule.
The selected 48 reform proposals include state language, nationality, fundamental principles of the state, basic rights, presidential election, prime minister鈥檚 term, the formation of a caretaker government, the introduction to a bicameral legislature, the appointment of key government posts, restructuring local government, and the amendment of Anti-Corruption Commission-related provisions.聽
However, the order would not mention the dissenting notes received from several political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Under this order, an ordinance would be issued to conduct a referendum with a single question: 鈥楧o you give your consent to the July National Charter Implementation (Reform of Constitution) Order 2025 and the proposed constitutional reforms incorporated in its schedule?鈥�
The commission recommended that the Election Commission, with necessary amendments to its existing laws, would hold the referendum before or simultaneously with the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections.
If the positive responses win, a constitution reform assembly, which would be elected along with the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, would be responsible to amend, add to, refine the existing constitution and laws or enact new laws as per the July Charter.
The Jatiya Sangsad speaker would chair the assembly while the deputy speaker would act as the substitute. The assembly would make a decision on the basis of simple majority.
Binding the assembly to implement the reform proposals within 270 days of its formation, the commission presented two plans.
The first plan recommends that the interim government will present the 48 constitution-related reform proposals as a bill before the referendum, provisioning that the reforms should be mandated by the referendum, but if not approved by the assembly within the 270 days, would automatically become effective.聽聽
The second plan recommends that the assembly, representing the 鈥榮overeign power of the people鈥�, will approve the 48 reform proposals, mandated by the referendum, within 270 days of its formation.聽
Formally beginning its task on February 15, the National Consensus Commission held three rounds of dialogue with more than 30 political parties to formulate the state reform-oriented July Charter.
The charter was signed by 25 political parties, the NCC members, and the chief adviser.
During the signing ceremony on October 17, the commission promised to submit the charter implementation mechanism to the interim government by October 31.