The National Consensus Commission on Thursday decided in favour of forming a 100-member Upper House of the parliament through the Proportional Representation (PR) system based on the percentage of votes.
The announcement came, during the 23rd and final day of the Commission’s second phase of dialogue with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
Although, smaller parties and most left-leaning factions backed the move as a global standard, the BNP and its allies rejected the model, insisting that seats should reflect lower house election outcomes instead.
The commission also proposed transferring appointment powers for top defense and intelligence posts directly to the President.
As tensions flared over the decision, commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz said that a final draft of the reform charter would soon be shared with all parties, followed by a signing ceremony.
The commission, which was tasked with building political unity around structural reforms following the fall of the Awami League government, announced that members of the Upper House would be nominated in proportion to each party’s share of the popular vote. This marks a major departure from Bangladesh’s winner-takes-all parliamentary system, aiming to create a more inclusive legislative process.
However, parties within the nationalist bloc, led by the BNP and including the 12-party alliance, LDP, and NDM, objected, demanding that seats in the Upper House be allocated based on the number of seats each party wins in the Lower House.
“We proposed an Upper House to include qualified individuals from various sectors, but they must reflect the seat distribution of the elected house,” said BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed.
“An unelected chamber must not have any constitutional amendment powers,” he added.
A heated exchange erupted between 12-party alliance coordinator Syed Ehsanul Huda and NCP leader Zaved Rasin during the talks on Thursday. Huda questioned the presence of some parties in the 2023 uprising, drawing immediate protests and an intervention from the commission's Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz. The situation was defused only after Huda issued a public apology during the lunch break.
Despite the discord, the commission pushed forward with additional proposals, including limiting the legislative powers of the Upper House. While it would review and comment on bills, it would not be able
to permanently block legislation. If the Upper House fails to respond within a month, a bill will be considered approved. If rejected, the bill would return to the Lower House with recommendations, but the latter retains final authority.
The commission also introduced a bold plan to transfer the authority to appoint the heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force, DGFI, and NSI directly to the president. This, too, was met with mixed reactions. BNP said key constitutional appointments—such as those in the Public Service Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General’s Office, and Human Rights Commission—should be made under legislative oversight for transparency and accountability.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami issued a stark warning, threatening legal action if the July Charter lacks binding legal force.
“Without a legal foundation, the whole process becomes a farce,” said Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher.
“We won’t sign anything that’s not immediately actionable. This government must implement it before its term ends.”
Taher reiterated support for the PR system, citing its widespread use in over 90 countries. “PR is a global reality, not a luxury,” he said. “If this is not legally enforced, we’ll sue both the commission and the government for breach of public trust.”
However, Professor Ali Riaz assured the parties that the final charter draft would soon be shared along with a full list of consensus points and dissenting positions. A signing ceremony is also expected shortly.