National Consensus Commission Vice Chairman Professor Ali Riaz has expressed optimism that the consensus-building process can be finalised within the next three days by completing several key tasks.
He made these remarks on Sunday at 11:00am at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, during the start of the 19th day of the second phase of meetings of the National Consensus Commission.
“I am hopeful that, starting today and over the next three days, we will be able to accomplish many tasks and reach the final stage of this process. Your [political parties’] continued cooperation, along with our collective efforts, will surely lead to success. We must hold onto this belief and confidence,” Ali Riaz stated.
He clarified that no discussions would be held on the draft itself during this stage. “If any major fundamental objection arises, we will bring it to the floor; otherwise, we won’t. If any of you have separate suggestions, those will be incorporated into the final charter. That document will include background, process, and the areas of commitment. However, we will not be disclosing the list of agreed points at this stage.”
He noted that a previously undiscussed issue was the expansion of citizens’ fundamental rights. The Constitution Reform Commission had proposed consolidating the rights mentioned in Parts Two and Three of the Constitution into a single chapter to present them in the form of a Bill of Rights. The commission had provided some clear recommendations and guidance in this regard. However, in preliminary discussions, it became evident that most political parties could not reach a consensus on the format of this expansion. While there was agreement on the need to expand fundamental rights, there was divergence on how this should be done—this will require further discussion.
Professor Riaz said, “We have now proposed the formation of a Police Commission. Previously, 166 recommendations were shared from the Consensus Commission, which did not include anything on this topic. We are now incorporating it—not to cause delay, but in response to repeated queries from citizens as to why police reform was not being addressed. Given the role of the police over the past 16 years, this question is entirely valid. That is why it has now been included. We believe a comprehensive consensus can be achieved on all issues.”
He reiterated the need for cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure the successful conclusion of the national consensus process.
