Staff Reporter :
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus stated on Saturday that the first phase of the interim government has concluded, and the second phase has now begun with the initiation of meetings with political parties.
The Chief Adviser urged political parties to reach an agreement on implementing the proposals put forward by six reform commissions.
“The six reform commissions have made their best efforts to offer recommendations for the creation of a new Bangladesh.
The challenge now lies in determining how and to what extent we will accept and implement them,” he remarked.
He made these comments during his opening speech at the inaugural meeting of the National Consensus Commission with political parties, held at the Foreign Service Academy in the afternoon.
“Today’s discussion will focus on practical aspects rather than remaining purely academic,” Dr. Yunus added.
The Chief Adviser stated that if the opportunity to reshape Bangladesh is seized effectively, future generations will remember these efforts.
“It is up to the political parties to determine the structure of society and the manner in which these reforms will be executed,” he said.
Reflecting on the completion of the first phase of the interim government, he noted that the second phase had now begun with these discussions, paving the way for a new, disciplined Bangladesh, free from autocratic rule.
Honouring the martyrs, the wounded, and the fighters of the July uprising, the Chief Adviser emphasised that the time to build a new Bangladesh had arrived.
He called on students and the general public to work together to honour the sacrifices made.
He said, “Those who gave their lives entrusted us with the responsibility of formulating new laws to shape a new Bangladesh.”
The experiences of the past six months, he remarked, had instilled courage in all, with people from various sectors extending full support to the interim government.
“If this unity remains intact, no force will be able to hinder the progress of building a new Bangladesh,” he observed.
He also cautioned that those who had been previously rejected by the people were now seeking to make a comeback, urging everyone to remain vigilant in preventing their return.
A BNP delegation, led by its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, is participating in the discussions, alongside representatives from other political parties.
On Thursday, the interim government established the seven-member ‘National Consensus Commission,’ headed by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, to engage with political parties regarding the six commissions’ recommendations and to foster consensus on key political, constitutional, and electoral reforms.
Other members of the commission include Prof. Ali Riaz, leading the Constitutional Reform Commission; Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, in charge of the Public Administration Reform Commission; Safar Raj Hossain, head of the Police Reform Commission; Badiul Alam Majumder, responsible for the Election Reform Commission; Justice Emdadul Haque, leading the Judiciary Reform Commission; and Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, overseeing the Anti-Corruption Reform Commission.
The National Consensus Commission has been given six months to complete its task of consensus-building. The Chief Adviser’s Office (CAO) is providing secretarial support to the commission.
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