Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
The Bangladesh government on Wednesday proposed a 17-member special parliamentary committee to amend the Constitution in line with the July Charter, but the opposition said it needed time to decide on joining as it favoured broader constitutional reform.
Law minister Md Asaduzzaman said he and home minister Salahuddin Ahmed had earlier proposed a special committee for the amendments. “We have prepared a list of 12 members, which includes BNP, Gono Adhikar Parishad, Ganosamhati Andolan, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), and independent MPs,” he said.
He said the opposition held 26% of Parliament and was being asked to give five names. “By percentage, the opposition holds 26 percent. From their side, we are asking for five names. We have prepared a list of 12, seven from BNP and five from other parties. If the opposition provides five names, we want to present the matter tomorrow (Thursday) and move forward with forming the special committee on constitutional amendment in light of the July Charter.”
Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal told the opposition leader: “The government side has prepared a list of 12 members. From your opposition side, five names are requested. Thus, the special committee will have 17 members. Kindly provide your five names so the formation process can proceed.”
Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman said there were conceptual differences. “I told him we have matters to discuss among ourselves. There are conceptual differences. We cannot give an opinion right now. We will inform later. Today it may not be possible,” he said.
“We want reform (of the constitution), but here it is amendment. We had differences before, and that remain. We have received and listened to the proposal, but we will respond later. At this moment, we are not making any statement,” he added.
The law minister replied: “We have no objection. We will wait. We will move forward with constitutional amendments in light of the July Charter. Waiting until the next session is not a problem.”
The issue remains a flashpoint between the treasury and opposition benches. On March 31, the treasury bench called the July Charter Implementation Order “a document of endless deceit and national betrayal” and proposed an all-party committee to amend the Constitution. In response, Shafiqur proposed a separate special parliamentary committee to convene the Constitution Reform Council. “But our appeal is that the committee should have an equal number of members from both sides, so that we can present our views properly.”
The discussion took place on an adjournment motion moved by the opposition leader for convening the Constitution Reform Council under the July Charter Implementation Order.
Under the order, members of the 13th Parliament were supposed to act both as MPs and as members of a Constitution Reform Council to deal with 48 constitutional provisions of the July Charter within 180 working days, requiring two separate oaths. The council, however, has not yet been convened, though under the order its first session should have been held within 30 days of the election results.
MPs of the BNP-led alliance refused to take oath as council members, while 77 MPs of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance took both oaths. The July National Charter, drafted by the National Consensus Commission after talks with political parties, contains 48 Constitution-related proposals. BNP issued notes of dissent on several key reforms and backs amendment according to its own position, while Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP and others want all July Charter proposals implemented through a Constitution Reform Council.
A referendum was held on the 48 Constitution-related proposals, but BNP’s differing views did not prevail. After the “yes” vote won, Parliament was expected to function both as legislature and as a Constitution Reform Council.