Consensus commission: 30 parties miss deadline for feedback

The National Consensus Commission is struggling to gather timely feedback on key reform recommendations as most political parties are yet to respond within the deadline.

So far, seven out of 37 political parties have submitted their opinions: the Liberal Democratic Party, Khelafat Majlish, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, Jaker Party, Bhasani Anusari Parishad, Jatiyatabadi Gonotantrik Andolan and Amjanatar Dal.

However, 16 political parties including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party (NCP), Islami Andolan Bangladesh and the AB Party have sought more time to submit their feedback.

On March 6, the National Consensus Commission sent spreadsheets containing key recommendations from the Constitution Reform Commission, Public Administration Reform Commission, Election System Reform Commission, Judiciary Reform Commission and Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commission to 37 political parties.

The parties were asked to respond by March 13.

Contacted, Ali Riaz, the vice-president of the National Consensus Commission, said they have received responses from seven political parties, while 16 had requested one or two more days to submit their feedback.

"Some parties have asked for an extended deadline, but we told them that it is not possible as it would delay our work. We urged them to submit their feedback as soon as possible," said Riaz, who led the Constitution Reform Commission.

The BNP, currently the largest active political party in the country, has opted to prepare a detailed report to inform its stance on the reform recommendations, The Daily Star has learnt with people informed with the proceedings.

Merely submitting feedback by ticking checkboxes could lead to confusion, they said. Instead, the party intends to prepare a comprehensive report alongside the provided form.

Some BNP leaders have also raised concerns about the commission's dialogue process, particularly whether it will include only registered parties or unregistered ones as well.

If limited to registered parties, groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and the newly formed NCP would be excluded.

The issue needs clarification as inviting unregistered parties could open the door for many other groups to participate, they said.

However, the commission has urged all parties, including the BNP, to submit their feedback within five days.

Meanwhile, 14 parties, including the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), have neither submitted their responses nor contacted the commission.

Speaking to The Daily Star, CPB General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said that responding within the given timeframe was not feasible.

"We are currently analysing the reform proposals. Since we do not believe it is possible to provide feedback simply by ticking 'agree', 'disagree' or 'partially agree', my party thinks that a dialogue is necessary."

The CPB needs more time for a comprehensive response, he added.

When asked about the timeline for discussions given the commission's previous statement that talks would begin in mid-March, Riaz said the commission would meet next Sunday to determine the next course of action.

However, he expressed hope that discussions could begin with parties that submit their feedback by the third week of March.

On the implementation of several recommendations from six reform commissions, Shafiqul Alam, the chief adviser's press secretary, said that some reforms do not require consultation with political parties.

A 30-page document is being prepared, which will be sent to the respective ministries for administrative implementation within their jurisdiction, he said during a media briefing yesterday.

The chief adviser has urged the ministries to take swift action on the decisions, Alam added.