Professor Ali Riaz, vice-chairperson of the National Consensus Commission, expressed hope that political parties and alliances would make concessions from their respective positions to restructure the state and establish a democratic system.
He expressed this optimism at the beginning of the discussion with the National Consensus Commission and the Jatiyatabadi Somomona Jote on Saturday, in the LD Hall of the Parliament Building in Dhaka.
At that time, the members of the commission present were Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Safar Raj Hossain, and the Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider.
At the start of the talks, Ali Riaz said: "Our goal for the full establishment of democracy is to build national consensus within the stipulated time. By achieving this specific goal, we aim to create a national charter.”
He added: “Every party and alliance will be prepared to make some concessions for national interest, state reconstruction, and the establishment of a democratic system. We have all gathered for this effort."
He claimed that the national unity established through the July mass uprising is a crucial demand for the advancement of the nation and the state, saying: "We must come together in one place.”
He added: “This does not mean that we will agree on everything, but on issues essential for state building, reconstruction, and the creation of a democratic system, I hope we can reach a consensus."
In the discussions, the 13-member delegation of the Jatiyatabadi Somomona Jote, led by Dr Fariduzzaman Farhad, included freedom fighter Khondkar Lutfor Rahman, ATM Golam Mawla Chowdhury, Dr Syed Nazrul Islam, MN Shawon Sadiqi, and Qari Abu Taher, among others.
Notably, in the first phase, the reports of the reform commissions, including the Constitution Reform Commission, the Public Administration Reform Commission, the Electoral System Reform Commission, the Judiciary Reform Commission, and the ACC Reform Commission, were sent to 39 political parties in spreadsheet format to solicit their specific opinions on the important recommendations.
So far, the National Consensus Commission has received feedback from 35 parties.
