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Dhaka, July 7, 2025: Professor Ali Riaz, co-chair of the National Consensus Commission, stated that the commission is working to revise and re-present proposals when political parties express differing opinions on reform issues. He made these remarks at the start of the tenth discussion of the second phase with political parties, held on Monday at the Doyel Hall of the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.
Professor Ali Riaz noted that there is a growing trend among political parties to reach a consensus through discussions. He said, “Since the parties are emphasizing structural changes, the commission is striving to work alongside them.” The agenda for today’s meeting included the expansion of subordinate courts at the upazila level, the declaration of a state of emergency, and women’s representation.
According to Professor Ali Riaz, issues that reached a consensus in the first phase of discussions were not brought up in the second phase. He emphasized the commission’s flexible stance in the interest of consensus, stating, “The commission is adopting a flexible approach.” As an example, he mentioned that when most political parties opposed the proposal to form a National Constitutional Council (NCC), the commission revised and re-presented the proposal. Additionally, due to objections from political parties regarding the proposal for pluralism in the first phase, the commission later withdrew it.
Professor Ali Riaz urged political parties to cooperate, saying, “We have limited time. While political parties have their own agendas, we request that they participate in discussions as much as possible to resolve outstanding issues.”
Today’s discussion saw participation from 30 political parties, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizens Party (NCP), and Islami Andolan. The meeting was moderated by Monir Haider, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser (Consensus). Other commission members present included Badiul Alam Majumdar, Iftekharuzzaman, and Md. Ayub Mia.
