BNP agrees 25, partially another 25 amendments

Constitutional reform move in the interim period progresses Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has already agreed on 25 and partially another 25 changes says it is "serious" about reforms being proposed.

Party Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed claimed Thursday the former ruling party is serious about the reforms the interim government has presented.

The BNP is holding point-by-point discussions, he said during a meeting with the National Consensus Commission on the day, adding that "the papers they (reform commissions) gave us for short yes/no answers in the spreadsheet have created a lot of confusion".

He was talking to reporters after the sitting with the commission at the LD Hall of the National Parliament.

"They have confused us with the spreadsheet. It should not have been given," he deplored, saying that BNP has submitted detailed opinions on the constitution, the judiciary, administration, and elections.

This member of the BNP Standing Committee said, "We have started with constitutional reform. Then, there will be discussions on the judiciary and elections. Then, we want to keep the discussions going. If it does not end today, there will be discussions later. We want to show how serious the BNP is about reforming."

The Constitutional Reform Commission has put on the table 131 proposals, 70 issues have been mentioned in the National Consensus Commission's spreadsheet, Salahuddin Ahmed said, adding: "Our point-by-point discussions are ongoing."

Meanwhile, BNP agreed 25 of the Constitutional Reform Commission's issues, partially agreed on 25 and could not agree on the remainder.

Claiming that the report on the opinion of the judiciary was misleading, the senior BNP leader said, "Out of the 150 opinions in the detailed report, we have given opinions on 89. In most of the remaining cases, we have stated that we agree or agree with comments."

He claims that there is a huge difference in the detailed report on the question of seeking opinions on yes/no queries.

BNP wants independence of the judiciary, he said.

For electoral-system reforms, he said, "They have given such proposals on some issues which, if implemented, will not maintain the independent entity of the Election Commission."

Another BNP Standing Committee Member, Nazrul Islam Khan, said BNP is not against reforms, rather BNP is a party of reforms, but the people are at the root of everything. "Let everything be done with consent of the people."

"We told the chief adviser Wednesday that BNP is not against reforms, BNP is a party of reforms. But some people say different things. When they did not utter the word of reform, national leader Khaleda Zia gave Vision 2030."

The dialogue, moderated by a special assistant to the chief adviser, Monir Haider, was also attended by members of the commission, including Vice-President of the National Consensus Commission Prof Ali Riaz, member Safar Raj Hossain, Justice Emdadul Haque, Badiul Alam Majumder and Iftekharuzzaman.

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