Staff Reporter :
In a significant development in the ongoing political dialogue, the majority of political parties participating in the second round of talks hosted by the National Consensus Commission have expressed support for amending the constitutional provision governing the presidential election – favouring a shift toward an Electoral College-based system.
The discussions, held on Thursday at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, brought together representatives from various political parties to consider three proposed models, each based on an expanded Electoral College framework. The dialogue is part of wider efforts to reform the political structure and ensure more representative governance.
Following the session, Commission Vice-Chair Professor Ali Riaz briefed reporters, stating that most parties agreed on the need to amend Article 48(1) of the Constitution, which currently stipulates that the President shall be elected by Members of Parliament.
“There was in-depth discussion on Article 48(1), and a majority of parties supported changing this clause,” Riaz said. “The exact form of the reform – whether by amendment, revision, or redesign-will be determined through further consultations.”
The existing article reads: “There shall be a President of Bangladesh who shall be elected by the members of Parliament in accordance with law.”
Participants examined options to broaden the presidential electorate.
One of the proposed models, highlighted by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdullah Mohammad Taher, included a bicameral legislature with 100 reserved seats for women, creating a 500-member voting body. Several suggestions were also made to include representatives from local government bodies-adding 76 votes from zila parishads and city corporations.
“We endorse an expanded Electoral College,” Taher stated, also advocating for the use of secret ballots in presidential elections. “All internal elections within Jamaat are conducted through secret ballots; the national presidential election should follow the same democratic principle.”
Gono Adhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque Nur echoed support for an inclusive voting framework, proposing the addition of votes from union parishads – potentially expanding the Electoral College to over 70,000 members from the current 576.
The structure of the legislature also featured prominently in the discussions. According to Professor Riaz, most parties now favour a bicameral parliamentary system, with an upper house comprising 100 members. There was also widespread support for imposing a two-term limit on the office of the Prime Minister.
“Although today’s agenda included topics such as constitutional principles, prime ministerial tenure, and electoral boundary reforms, we returned to the presidential election issue to build on unresolved discussions from the previous session,” Riaz explained.
The question of parliamentary structure, he added, is critical to the design of the Electoral College. “Many parties have pointed out that defining the structure of Parliament must come first, as it is essential to determining the composition of voters in any new presidential election process,” he said.
While a clear majority supports the move towards a bicameral legislature and term limits, Riaz acknowledged that full consensus is still a work in progress. “We are committed to transparency.
Any unresolved issues will be clearly reflected in the final National Charter,” he said. “We understand that not every item will receive unanimous agreement, but the spirit of cooperation among political parties remains strong.”
The National Consensus Commission will reconvene at 10:30am on 22 June to continue deliberations on outstanding issues.
