Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday announced its opposition to the proposal to shorten the terms of the President and Parliament from five years to four, a reform suggested by the National Consensus Commission (NCC) as part of broader constitutional changes currently under discussion.
Speaking during a break in a day-long meeting held at the LD Hall of the National Parliament, Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Amir, Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, stated: “The Consensus Commission proposed that the terms of the President and the Parliament be curtailed to four years. However, we believe this would not be logical.”
The NCC convened the session on Saturday morning to formally engage Jamaat-e-Islami in discussions on proposed state reforms. Taher, leading the Jamaat delegation, confirmed that while his party supports the introduction of a bicameral legislature, it would withhold final comments on the structure, formation, and election processes until further internal consultations are complete.
Constitutional reforms, Taher noted, remain a key focus of the dialogue. “Discussions are ongoing,” he said, adding that Jamaat’s detailed positions on various proposals would emerge in the coming days.
Earlier in the day, Professor Ali Riaz, Vice President of the NCC, inaugurated the session by emphasising that the initiative for state reforms had not originated from the interim government. Rather, he described it as “the manifestation of a long-held aspiration of the people,” adding that the objective of the dialogue with political parties was to forge a genuine national consensus.
Several prominent members of the Consensus Commission participated in the discussions, including Badiul Alam Majumder, Safar Raj Hossain, Iftekharuzzaman, former Justice Emdadul Haque, and the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for Consensus, Monir Haider.
The Jamaat delegation, in addition to Taher, included Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar; Assistant Secretaries Hamidur Rahman, Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, and Ahsanul Mahbub Zubair; Dhaka City South’s Amir Nurul Islam Bulbul; Central Media and Publicity Secretary Matiur Rahman Akanda; Central Executive Member Saiful Alam Khan Milon; and lawyer Shishir Mohammad Monir.
In his opening remarks, Professor Ali Riaz praised Jamaat-e-Islami’s resilience in the face of what he termed years of repression under a “fascist regime.” He noted that Jamaat’s leaders and activists had endured both judicial and extrajudicial persecution over the past sixteen years but had remained steadfast in their commitment to the democratic struggle.
“Jamaat-e-Islami’s continuous contribution to the struggle against fascism will undoubtedly be remembered by all,” Professor Riaz said. “When the nation is rebuilt anew and a democratic state is finally established, we expect that Jamaat’s role will again prove significant.”
