Akhtar Hossain, member secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has said that a democratic environment cannot be ensured under the current constitution, which grants absolute power to the Prime Minister.
Therefore, the NCP demands a balance of power, he told journalists on Saturday after the first session of a meeting between the NCP and the National Consensus Commission, held at the LD Hall of the National Parliament Building in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
Akhtar said: “In the meeting, we emphasized the need for fundamental reforms. We also proposed that the Constituent Assembly election and the power transfer process should be peaceful. We highlighted the need for political consensus among all parties.”
He further said that justice for mass killings and systemic reforms must be ensured before any elections. “An election is necessary to make visible the mandate under which the interim government assumed power. But prior to that, justice for the mass killings and required reforms must be ensured. If the government needs time for that, it should be given. We have strongly presented this position to the Commission. We also suggested including the term ‘election’ when referring to the caretaker or interim government, as their primary responsibility is to conduct the election—and that’s where our focus lies.”
The NCP member secretary said: “So far, we’ve discussed reforms in the judiciary, the election commission, administration, and police. However, we have not yet been able to discuss several other areas, including the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). We did, however, question why police reform was included in this context.”
Hasnat Abdullah, Chief Organizer of NCP’s Southern Region, said: “We must first understand why the 2024 mass uprising occurred. The issue of absolute power must be addressed. If our democratic process continues as before, there will be no benefit. We must reach a consensus in the national interest.”
He said: “Some people think we want two separate elections. In reality, we want only one election—that of the legislative assembly. Later, it will gain the status of a Constituent Assembly. Because any constitutional amendments can be challenged by the next government—as seen with the 15th Amendment of the previous government. If the amendments are made through a Constituent Assembly election, no one will be able to question them.”
Representing the National Consensus Commission at the meeting were: Vice President Professor Ali Riaz, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, and Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haidar.
On behalf of the NCP, attendees included: Akhtar Hossain, Hasnat Abdullah, Convener Nahid Islam, Chief Coordinator Nasir Uddin Patwari, Joint Convener Sarwar Tushar, Senior Joint Convener Samanta Sharmin, and two others.
