Staff Reporter
The country’s proposed bicameral parliamentary system took a major step forward on Thursday, as the National Consensus Commission (NCC) formally announced that the future Upper House will comprise 100 members, selected through a proportional representation (PR) system based on the national vote share received by political parties in general elections.
The decision, made after weeks of deliberation among major political stakeholders, aims to ensure broader representation in the legislative process. However, the move has been sharply criticized by the major political party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allied blocs, who argue that Upper House seats should instead be allocated based on the number of seats won by parties in the Lower House.
The announcement came during the final day of the NCC’s second-phase dialogue, held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.
“We aim to conclude the consultation process today and deliver a final charter soon,” said NCC Vice Chair Prof. Ali Riaz in his opening remarks. He added that a signing ceremony will follow the consensus draft, which will be shared with all parties, including points of both agreement and divergence.
The proposed PR system for the Upper House garnered backing from parties such as the National Citizens’ Party (NCP) and Jamaat-e-Islami. But the BNP, along with the Nationalist Like-Minded Alliance, the 12-Party Coalition, the National Democratic Movement (NDM), and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), pushed back. These groups insisted that representation in the Upper House should reflect parliamentary seat counts, not vote shares.
Due to the disagreement, the issue was deferred to the NCC for a final verdict. After internal deliberation, the commission endorsed the vote-based proportional model.
Under the current proposal, the Upper House will not have legislative autonomy to initiate bills independently. All non-financial bills must pass through both chambers, but the Upper House will function as a reviewing body only. It will not be allowed to permanently block legislation; if a bill is held up for more than a month, it will be considered passed. Any rejections must include recommendations and be returned to the Lower House for reconsideration.
The move has prompted further resistance from some left-leaning and Islamist parties. The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASAD), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam rejected the idea of an Upper House altogether, citing Bangladesh’s current socio-economic constraints as incompatible with the need for a second chamber.
More than 30 parties participated in Thursday’s session, including BNP, Jamaat, NCP, Islami Andolon, CPB, and Ganosamhati Andolon. The discussion was moderated by Monir Hayder, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, with participation from NCC members Justice Emdadul Haque, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, and Ayub Miah.
Meanwhile, in a separate but related development, the NCC has proposed granting the President of Bangladesh the sole authority to appoint the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with the Directors General of both the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and the National Security Intelligence (NSI).
With intense political scrutiny surrounding the Upper House framework, the coming days will reveal whether consensus can hold—or whether further polarization awaits.
