Staff Reporter :
The country’s proposed bicameral parliamentary system moved closer to reality on Thursday, as the National Consensus Commission (NCC) formally confirmed that the forthcoming Upper House will comprise 100 members, elected through a proportional representation (PR) system based on each party’s share of the national vote in general elections.
The decision follows weeks of consultation with key political stakeholders and is intended to ensure wider political inclusion in the legislative process. However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies, who argue that Upper House representation should instead be based on the number of seats a party secures in the Lower House.
The announcement was made on the final day of the NCC’s second-phase dialogue, held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
“We aim to conclude the consultation process today and soon release a final charter,” said NCC Vice Chair Professor Ali Riaz in his opening remarks. He added that a formal signing ceremony would follow the consensus draft, which will reflect areas of both agreement and contention.
Support for the proposed PR system came from parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens’ Party (NCP). However, the BNP, the Nationalist Like-Minded Alliance, the 12-Party Coalition, the National Democratic Movement (NDM), and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) opposed the plan. These parties argued for representation in the Upper House to be determined by parliamentary seat count rather than vote share.
The matter was ultimately referred back to the NCC for resolution. Following internal discussions, the commission endorsed the vote-based proportional model.
According to the current framework, the Upper House will function primarily as a reviewing chamber. While it may debate non-financial bills, it will not hold the authority to initiate legislation independently.
Moreover, it will not be able to permanently block bills; if a proposal is delayed for more than a month, it will be deemed approved. Any rejections must be accompanied by specific recommendations and returned to the Lower House for reconsideration.
Some parties have voiced deeper concerns over the very need for an Upper House. Left-leaning and Islamist parties-including the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), the Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASAD), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – rejected the bicameral model altogether, citing economic and structural constraints.
Over 30 parties participated in Thursday’s session, including BNP, Jamaat, NCP, Islami Andolon, CPB, and Ganosamhati Andolon. The dialogue was moderated by Monir Hayder, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, with contributions from NCC members Justice Emdadul Haque, Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, and Ayub Miah.
In a parallel development, the NCC also proposed amending the appointment process for military and intelligence leadership. Under the draft recommendation, the President would be granted sole authority to appoint the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with the Directors General of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and National Security Intelligence (NSI).
With political debate intensifying over the structure and function of the Upper House, the coming weeks will reveal whether this hard-won consensus can hold – or whether further polarisation lies ahead.
