BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed stated today (23 March) that the party is not in favour of altering the fundamental principles of the Constitution.
Speaking at a press briefing following a meeting with the National Consensus Commission at the LD Hall of the National Parliament Complex, Salahuddin expressed the BNP’s opposition to several proposed changes. Notably, the party rejects the recommendation to equate the 2024 mass uprising with the 1971 Liberation War in the Constitution.
The BNP has also objected to proposals regarding the renaming of the state, transferring authority over national identity cards (NID), and placing parliamentary constituency delimitation under the Election Commission’s (EC) control.
“Replacing the republic with a citizen-based system is unjustified. Democracy has lost its character in the country, making constitutional amendments necessary,” Salahuddin remarked while presenting the BNP’s observations, objections, and recommendations on the reform proposals.
He clarified that the BNP does not believe there is a need for a Constituent Assembly vote but supports most of the judiciary’s recommendations.
Salahuddin revealed that the party had reviewed the commission’s core proposals, agreeing with some while disagreeing with others—particularly those requiring legal amendments.
“We have received proposals on administrative reforms and agree with almost half of them. We have provided feedback on the remaining suggestions, which consist of 26 proposals in total,” he added.
The BNP also opposes the proposal to rename the country from the “People’s Republic of Bangladesh” to “Janagantrantrik Bangladesh.”
“Changing the country’s name is unnecessary, as it is already widely accepted through long-standing practice. The benefits of such a change are unclear, and we do not support it,” Salahuddin stated.
He further rejected the idea of making the EC accountable to a parliamentary committee.
“If the NID is transferred to a separate organisation, the EC will have to rely on external bodies. Under the Awami League government, the NID was brought under the Home Ministry’s control, a law that has yet to be repealed. This law should be revoked, and the NID should remain under the EC’s jurisdiction,” he explained.
Salahuddin also highlighted a minor legal error affecting the EC’s constitutional authority over electoral boundaries.
“This error, which prevents the EC from holding hearings on constituency delimitation, has been reported to the Law Ministry but remains uncorrected. Failure to address it could complicate future elections,” he warned.
The National Consensus Commission commenced formal dialogues on 20 March to finalise recommendations from various reform bodies. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) participated on the first day, agreeing with 120 out of 166 proposed state reforms.
On 21 March, representatives from the Khelafat Majlis and the Labour Party also joined the discussions.
On 6 March, the National Consensus Commission invited 37 political parties to submit their views on 166 key recommendations related to constitutional, electoral, public administration, anti-corruption, and judicial reforms. The commission is currently holding meetings with these parties as part of the consultation process.
