The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) told the National Consensus Commission on Tuesday that the goal of the July uprising was not to abolish the 1972 Constitution, achieved through the great Liberation War.
During a meeting with the commission held in the LD Hall of the parliament complex, the CPB said the interim government should implement necessary reforms to ensure free and fair elections and to hold the parliamentary polls without delay.
An 11-member CPB delegation, led by President Shah Alam and General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, joined the dialogue.
Among those present from the commission were Vice-Chairman Prof Ali Riaz and members Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Safar Raj Hossain, Justice Emdadul Haque, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Md Ayub Miah, and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haidar.
At the start of the dialogue, Ali said: “Discussions on restructuring or reforming the state framework are part of the ongoing struggle by political parties over many years. The aspiration for this was made explicit during the mass uprising of July 2024.”
He added: “We are working to create a framework for building a democratic and accountable state that ensures equal rights for all citizens and guarantees the protection of those rights. The goal of the National Consensus Commission is to formulate a national charter that will serve as a roadmap for the future of Bangladesh.”
Following the dialogue, CPB leaders spoke to journalists, with CPB President Shah Alam saying that the objective of the mass uprising was not to abolish the 1972 Constitution, which the party does not support, but rather to pursue constitutional reforms and call for the repeal of repressive laws.
He further said: “We have expressed our support for retaining the four fundamental principles of the Constitution. But they (the authorities) have not upheld them. We are against rewriting the Constitution, but we support reform—abolition is not acceptable.”
He added: “Our core aspiration was to restore the people’s right to vote and to bring down autocracy. That is why we have urged them to arrange an election as soon as possible.”
CPB General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said: “If the interim government begins taking on responsibilities beyond routine tasks, it will become increasingly difficult. By engaging in such major undertakings, the government may face significant controversy, and even its most crucial task, ensuring a free and fair election, could fall into jeopardy. We are reminding you of this through your platform.”
He continued: “We know this is not a regular government, nor a unified one. It includes people from various political paths. Therefore, it is important to prioritize the necessary reforms for a proper election. That framework must be established first. During this period, we will do all we can to support the reform process. I hope that through you, the government will recognize that holding a credible election must be its top priority.
“If we can hold an election after completing the necessary reforms, by which I mean those essential for a free and fair election, it will be a significant step forward.”
Notably, on March 23, the CPB submitted its reform proposals to the National Consensus Commission.
So far, 32 political parties, including the CPB, have participated in the first phase of discussions with the commission.
