The feasibility of introducing an upper chamber in Bangladesh’s Parliament came under scrutiny at a roundtable held on Thursday at the Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in Dhaka.
Academics, politicians, and legal experts debated its potential role in strengthening democratic governance.
Organized by the Dhaka Institute of Research and Analytics (Daira), the roundtable—titled “From Recommendations to Reality: Reassessing the Commission Reports”—focused on the institutional reform proposals submitted by five of the six National Reform Commissions formed after the July 2024 uprising.
These commissions—on the Constitution, Electoral Reform, Judicial Reform, Public Administration Reform, and Police Reform—submitted their final reports by January 15, 2025.
Among the ideas discussed, the introduction of a bicameral legislature drew considerable attention from speakers concerned with democratic accountability and structural stability.
Fariha Ahmed, Research Assistant at daira, opened the discussion by presenting the organization’s position on the reform reports.
She noted that Bangladesh was at a turning point with an opportunity to establish a new power balance rooted in democratic accountability.
However, she warned that questions remain about implementation transparency and whether the process could remain free from political interference.
The event was moderated by Professor Asif Shahan of the University of Dhaka, who underscored the importance of political settlements and rights-based frameworks to ensure state accountability and redistribution of power.
The roundtable also discussed the necessity of an upper chamber in Bangladesh’s Parliament.
On this topic, AKM Fahim Mashroor, managing director of BDJobs.com Limited, said that although the Upper House may not be feasible at this moment, it could play an effective role in ensuring democratic stability in the future.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, head of the Electoral Reform Commission, proposed that the Upper House should function as an oversight body.
He supported a mixed electoral system based on constituencies and proportional representation (PR), which would compel dialogue among parties instead of enabling unilateral majorities.
On this issue, Nasrin Sultana Mili, joint secretary general of the Amar Bangladesh Party, remarked that the people of Bangladesh are not yet ready for an Upper House.
She proposed reserving 100 PR-based seats in the Lower House for women.
Dr Mirza M Hassan highlighted the disparity between constitutional guarantees of equality of opportunity and the absence of equality of outcome.
Explaining the two dimensions of rights—positive and negative rights—he argued that in a society where individuals can harm one another, merely protecting freedoms is not enough.
Referring to budget cuts in the education sector, he noted that administrative structures often become obstacles to the realization of citizens’ rights.
Mohammad Khaled Saifullah, Joint Convenor of the National Citizen Party, said that there should be no limitations on the right to life.
However, concerning freedom of speech, he cautioned that partisan hostility and hate speech should not be considered under the purview of free speech.
He also highlighted the limitations of formal equality in the case of women and suggested adopting the model of transformative equality followed in South Africa.
On the other hand, Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon, discussed the dependency of the progressive realization of rights on political and social preparedness.
He stressed the need for a superstructural transformation of the political power structure. He also expressed concerns that if the reform commission proposals are not realistic, they will not yield fruitful outcomes.
Advocate Shishir Monir said: “Articles 26–47 of the Constitution outline the framework of fundamental rights, but in reality, the application of these rights becomes limited through the concept of reasonable restriction.”
He argued that there should be no restrictions on the “protection of life,” and that the government should not be allowed to unilaterally curtail the rights to freedom of speech, association, or property.
Also present in the discussion were Advocate Dr Sharif Bhuiyan and prominent political activist Syed Hasibuddin Hossain.
The discussants explored the feasibility of implementing the commission recommendations, institutional obstacles, and the political will required for effective transformation.
