BNP agrees to 10-year cap on premiership, opposes proposed constitutional council

The BNP has agreed to a proposal limiting any individual from serving as prime minister for more than 10 years, according to local media reports quoting party standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting with the National Consensus Commission on Wednesday, Ahmed said the party supports incorporating this provision into the constitution.

Local media reported that the BNP standing committee, in a meeting held on Tuesday night, decided to support the inclusion of a two-term limit for the premiership in the constitution.

The proposal was originally made by the Constitutional Reform Commission, which recommended restricting the office of the prime minister to a maximum of two terms.

However, the BNP has expressed opposition to the proposed formation of a National Constitutional Council, citing concerns over its potential impact on the executive branch.

“If the National Constitutional Council is formed, it creates the scope for hurting the powers of the executive branch, and so if such a thing is done, we cannot agree to it,” Ahmed was quoted as saying.

He further argued that the proposed council may be inconsistent with the constitution. “The party does not agree to the formation of the National Constitutional Council, as it may run contrary to the constitution,” he added.

According to media reports citing party sources, BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman joined the meeting virtually from London. The meeting was held at the party chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka.

During the standing committee meeting, Ahmed reportedly presented a summary of the discussions held over the past few days between the BNP and the National Consensus Commission.