Reform Feedback: Major political parties miss deadline
Staff Reporter :
Several major political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, have missed the deadline for submitting their feedback on key reform proposals to the National Consensus Commission.
The deadline, which expired on Thursday, saw limited responses from political stakeholders, raising concerns over the progress of the reform discussions.
According to the commission, out of 37 political parties, only seven submitted their opinions within the stipulated timeframe.
Meanwhile, 16 parties requested additional time to provide their feedback, prompting the commission to reach out to the remaining parties once again.
Some parties have indicated that they will issue statements instead of responding to the commission’s multiple-choice questionnaire.
The National Consensus Commission, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, commenced its work on 15 February, aiming to build a broad agreement on crucial national reforms.
On 6 March, the commission circulated a set of reform recommendations in spreadsheet format to 37 political parties, requesting their responses by 13 March.
The recommendations were based on findings from five key reform bodies: the Constitution Reform Commission, the Public Administration Reform Commission, the Electoral System Reform Commission, the Judiciary Reform Commission, and the Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commission.
Despite the urgency of the reform process, leading political parties have expressed their need for more time to review the recommendations and formulate their responses.
BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, speaking to this correspondent, confirmed that his party has studied the commission’s letters but requires additional time to submit its opinions.
“But I want to emphasize one thing-reforms should be brought based on the opinions of the country’s people, and this is only possible after holding a national election.
The people will decide what they want and in which sectors they seek reform. Reform cannot be dictated by one person or a particular group,” he stated.
With the deadline now expired, the commission is making further efforts to gather opinions from the remaining parties.
The delayed responses and varying approaches of political entities have added to the complexities of achieving a unified national consensus on reforms.
The coming days will determine whether the commission succeeds in engaging all stakeholders in the crucial reform discussions or faces prolonged delays in the process.