Staff Reporter :
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed has stated that the party opposes any changes to the fundamental principles including preamble of the Constitution.
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday following a meeting with the National Consensus Commission at the LD Hall of the National Parliament Complex, Salahuddin outlined the BNP’s objections to several proposed constitutional amendments.
In particular, the party rejects the recommendation to equate the 2024 mass uprising with the 1971 Liberation War.
The BNP has also expressed opposition to proposals regarding the renaming of the state, transferring authority over national identity cards (NID), and placing parliamentary constituency delimitation under the control of the Election Commission (EC).
“Replacing the republic with a citizen-based system is unjustified. Democracy has lost its character in the country, making constitutional amendments necessary,” Salahuddin stated while presenting the BNP’s observations, objections, and recommendations on the reform proposals.
He clarified that the BNP does not see the need for a Constituent Assembly vote but supports the majority of the judiciary’s recommendations.
Salahuddin revealed that the party had reviewed the commission’s core proposals, agreeing with some while rejecting 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 remarked.
He further rejected the proposal to make 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 remains unrepealed.
This law should be revoked, and the NID should remain under the EC’s jurisdiction,” he explained.
Salahuddin also pointed out a minor legal error that affects the EC’s constitutional authority over electoral boundaries.
“This error prevents the EC from holding hearings on constituency delimitation. Although the issue has been reported to the Law Ministry, it remains uncorrected. Failure to address it could complicate future elections,” he warned.
The National Consensus Commission began formal dialogues on 20 March to finalise recommendations from various reform bodies.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) participated on the first day, endorsing 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 concerning constitutional, electoral, public administration, anti-corruption, and judicial reforms.
The commission is currently consulting with these parties as part of the ongoing dialogue process.
