Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, also chairman of the Special Committee on Constitutional Amendment of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, on Tuesday urged the opposition to join the committee’s discussions, saying differences over the July National Charter can be resolved through dialogue.
He made the call after the committee’s fourth meeting at the parliament complex. The meeting was held with representatives of electronic, television and online media, as well as talk-show panellists.
Salahuddin and other members of the parliamentary committee spoke to reporters at a press conference at the Parliament Media Centre after the meeting.
“We urge the opposition, through the media, to include their names in the Constitutional Amendment Committee and join the discussions. If they have differences of opinion on any issue in the July Charter, those can be discussed on the basis of consensus,” Salahuddin said.
He said the government remained in favour of a proposal to limit an individual’s tenure as prime minister to a maximum of 10 years, or two five-year terms, arguing that the measure was intended to prevent autocratic rule.
He added, however, that the issue could be discussed if the opposition or any other party in Parliament put forward an alternative proposal.
On the proposal for a bicameral Parliament, the committee chairman said Bangladesh was constitutionally a unitary state and did not have a system of provinces.
The final decision on the issue would be taken by Parliament, he said.
The special committee decided at the meeting to invite representatives of various sections of society to upcoming sessions before placing the proposed 18th Amendment to the Constitution before Parliament.
Those to be consulted include women leaders, constitutional experts, academics, key figures and organisations associated with the July mass uprising, contributors to the July National Charter, lawyers and teachers.
Salahuddin expressed hope that the committee would prepare a report based on the views gathered through the consultations and place it before parliament.
An amendment acceptable to the stakeholders would then be taken forward through the parliamentary legislative process, he said.
-DailySun
