The special parliamentary committee formed to amend the Constitution aims to complete consultations with political parties and submit its report to Parliament by December, Home Minister and committee chairman Salahuddin Ahmed said on Sunday.
He made the remarks after the committee’s second meeting at the parliament complex, saying it planned to move quickly and may hold meetings every week to complete the process.
The committee also plans to gather views from organizations involved in the July movement, families of martyrs, teachers and people from different professions before finalizing its recommendations.
“We want to move very quickly. If possible, we will arrange one meeting every week,” Salahuddin said.
He said proposals outside the July National Charter that are considered important to national life may also be considered before the committee submits its report.
17 parties participate
Representatives of the 26 political parties and alliances that signed the July National Charter were invited to the meeting.
Salahuddin said representatives of 15 parties attended directly, one party submitted a written statement and another could not attend because of illness at the last moment.
“We can say that around 17 political parties participated,” he said.
The minister said the political parties had reached consensus on structural, legal and institutional changes involving the Constitution, electoral system, judiciary, public administration, police and anti-corruption measures.
Although parties have notes of dissent on some issues, he said the government would implement areas where consensus had been reached.
“We promised that we would implement the July National Charter exactly as it was signed,” Salahuddin said.
According to him, some provisions require constitutional amendments, while others can be implemented through laws, ordinances, rules and executive orders. Most of the latter measures have already been implemented, while some still require legislation.
Push for amendment bill
Committee chairman Salahuddin said several parties had urged the government to complete discussions quickly and submit its report so that the constitutional amendment process could proceed.
He said the government wanted to discuss the proposals with all stakeholders and reach an understanding before bringing amendments to parliament.
“If we discuss with everyone and do it through consensus, the nation will understand that the July National Charter has been properly implemented,” he said.
Salahuddin also said the government would implement some commitments from its election manifesto that were not included in the July National Charter.
He cited the planned change to the fiscal year as an example. The current fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, while the government has decided to shift it to April 1-March 30, citing difficulties in implementing development projects during the rainy season at the end of the fiscal year.
Disagreement over upper house
The minister acknowledged differences among political parties over issues covered by notes of dissent.
One such issue is the proposed 100-member upper house of parliament. While some parties have proposed allocating seats according to parliamentary representation, others have suggested a proportional system based on votes.
Salahuddin said issues included in the government’s election manifesto would be pursued based on its electoral mandate.
He also said the proposal for a bicameral parliament was included in the BNP’s reform proposals and election manifesto and later became part of the July National Charter.
Minister rejects claims over BNP
Salahuddin accused some political groups of spreading what he described as misinformation about the BNP’s position on implementing the July National Charter.
He rejected claims that the BNP was unwilling to implement the charter because of its parliamentary strength.
“We will implement the July National Charter. We will try to bring the constitutional amendments as quickly as possible in the manner in which the charter was signed,” he said.
Asked whether the absence of opposition parties from the special committee could make the process one-sided, Salahuddin rejected the suggestion.
He said parties that did not sign the July National Charter would also be allowed to submit their views. Registered and unregistered political parties could provide written submissions for consideration by the committee.
Reform council demand
The committee’s approach has faced objections from some opposition groups.
Hasnat Kayum, president of the State Reform Movement, attended Sunday’s meeting but later walked out in protest.
Kayum said constitutional reforms should be implemented through a reform council rather than through ordinary constitutional amendments. He argued that changes affecting the Constitution’s basic structure could potentially face legal challenges if implemented through amendments.
He said they had long demanded a reform council based on the people’s mandate.
Kayum also said amendments adopted through parliament could subsequently be changed by a future government with a two-thirds majority, while amendments affecting the Constitution’s basic structure could face challenges before higher courts.
According to him, committee members said there was no consensus yet on forming a reform council, although they would consider discussing the issue further.
11-party alliance refuses participation
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar separately said the 11-party alliance would not nominate a representative to the special committee.
Earlier, speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, Parwar said the alliance opposed pursuing constitutional reform through parliamentary amendments instead of the process outlined in the July National Charter.
He said the alliance had decided not to support the constitutional amendment initiative and argued that the reform process should follow the mechanism agreed through the charter and related consultations.
Parwar also referred to the referendum held alongside the February 12, 2026 parliamentary election on the constitutional reform proposals included in the July National Charter.
According to the Election Commission gazette cited by him, 68.59% of valid votes were cast in favor. He said the referendum covered 48 constitutional reform proposals and argued that voters had endorsed both the reforms and a specific process for implementing them.
He also referred to the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025, which provided for elected representatives to serve as members of both Parliament and the proposed Constitution Reform Council.
The BNP, however, had said it was not offered an oath as members of the reform council and that its lawmakers would not take such an oath.
Parwar argued that parliament and a Constitution Reform Council were separate institutions, saying parliament derives its authority from the existing Constitution while the reform council would derive its authority from the constituent power of the people.
The special committee initiative has been under discussion since April. The BNP proposed forming such a committee on April 29, while a 12-member committee was eventually formed on July 13 after opposition parties declined to nominate members.
The committee is now targeting December to complete its consultations and submit its report, while opposition groups continue to challenge the mechanism through which the proposed constitutional reforms should be implemented.
