As discussions continue in the second phase of dialogue hosted by the National Consensus Commission, political parties remain sharply divided over the proposed formation of a National Constitutional Council (NCC)—a body intended to reform how key appointments are made to constitutional institutions in Bangladesh.
While the National Citizen Party (NCP), along with parties like Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party and Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB), expressed support for the NCC, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) firmly rejected the idea, citing “lack of accountability” and a threat to the current balance of power.
Speaking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, NCP Convener Nahid Islam acknowledged that while consensus has not yet been reached, the NCC remains crucial to breaking away from partisan control over constitutional bodies. “We support the NCC’s formation, but we do not want a continuation of the previous system where institutions like the Election Commission, ACC, and PSC were filled through party-biased appointments,” he said.
Nahid urged all parties to move beyond narrow interests, questioning whether critics of the NCC wished to retain the politicisation of national institutions. He also pushed back against concerns that the council would weaken the executive. “Institutions like the armed forces and the attorney general can remain under executive purview, but positions like the chief election commissioner should follow a separate, transparent policy,” he explained.
In stark contrast, BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed argued that the NCC would create a “powerful, unaccountable body” that undermines democratic principles. “These responsibilities should remain with the executive branch or be defined clearly by law,” he said. Salahuddin warned that introducing such a council could destabilise the existing structure of power, and reiterated BNP’s stance that the president should be elected by members of parliament, or a potential upper house if created.
Salahuddin also stressed that Bangladesh already has laws governing appointments to constitutional bodies. “Those laws need strengthening—not replacement by an unelected, overarching council,” he said.
What Is the NCC?
According to the reform proposal, the National Constitutional Council would be tasked with advising the president on high-level appointments, including to the Election Commission, ACC, Public Service Commission, Human Rights Commission, and others. The council would include representatives from all three branches of government: the president, prime minister, opposition leader, speakers and deputy speakers of both houses, the chief justice, and a neutral member elected by MPs excluding major party affiliates.
Supporters say the NCC could restore institutional independence and democratic balance, but critics fear it may weaken elected executives and blur constitutional clarity.
As consensus talks proceed, the NCC proposal has emerged as a major fault line—testing whether the dialogue process will lead to structural reform or fall prey to entrenched mistrust.
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