Commission aims to forge agreement across political spectrum

Staff Reporter :

The National Consensus Commission held formal talks with Nagorik Oikya on Wednesday as part of its ongoing initiative to build nationwide political consensus on a series of major reform proposals.

The meeting marks a continuation of the commission’s outreach to political parties to generate agreement on the recommendations of five major reform commissions.

Vice-Chairman of the Consensus Commission, Professor Ali Riaz, along with members Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Safar Raj Hossain, and Monir Haidar, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, were present during the discussions, according to an official statement.

A six-member delegation from Nagorik Oikya, led by General Secretary Shahidullah Kaiser, participated in the meeting. The talks centered on finding common ground among political stakeholders regarding proposed reforms to the constitution, public administration, electoral system, judiciary, and anti-corruption mechanisms.

Speaking at the meeting, Professor Riaz acknowledged the ideological and policy differences among political parties but stressed the importance of reaching consensus on fundamental issues. “Each political party will have a different position, but they have to come to a consensus on some fundamental points,” he said.

He further underscored that dialogue alone would not suffice. “Political parties must also reach a consensus through discussions with both their allies and opponents to move forward with the goal of establishing a national charter,” Riaz added.

The Consensus Commission has shared detailed reform proposals in spreadsheet form with 39 political parties. These include key recommendations from the Constitutional Reform Commission, Public Administration Reform Commission, Electoral Reform Commission, Judiciary Reform Commission, and Anti-Corruption Commission. So far, 35 parties have submitted their responses.

The initiative, which formally began on March 20, has already completed the initial phase of consultations with 25 political parties, including Nagorik Oikya. The commission is now working to consolidate feedback and narrow gaps in positions across party lines to move toward a comprehensive national consensus.

Nagorik Oikya’s participation adds to the growing momentum behind the commission’s effort to establish a new political framework through dialogue and cooperation.