Several political parties have reached a consensus in favour of introducing a vote of confidence by Members of Parliament under the existing provisions of Article 70 of the Constitution.
The BNP and the NCP have stated that this provision is essential for ensuring governmental stability. However, some parties have called for further discussion on the issue.
Article 70 of the Constitution currently bars Members of Parliament from voting against their party in the House; doing so results in the loss of their parliamentary seat.
The BNP and NCP maintain that this restriction is necessary to uphold stability within the government. Still, other parties have requested more deliberation on the matter.
The issue arose during the second phase of discussions held by the National Consensus Commission with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy on Tuesday. The discussions aim to build consensus on reforms across various sectors of the state.
During the session, political parties also shared their views on the timing of local government elections. The BNP opposed holding local government elections under a caretaker government, while Jamaat and the NCP expressed support for it.
According to meeting insiders, topics discussed included Article 70 of the Constitution, the system of reserved seats for women in Parliament, the appointment of parliamentary standing committee chairpersons, and the formation and tenure of a caretaker government.
The BNP reiterated its position that only national elections should be held under a non-partisan caretaker government. The party also supports a 90-day tenure for such a government, as stated by BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed during a break in the meeting.
Regarding Article 70, Salahuddin said the BNP has proposed that national security matters—along with confidence votes, finance bills, and constitutional amendments—be included as issues where MPs must not be allowed to vote independently.
“In a war-like situation, lawmakers must not be allowed to vote against their party. This should be incorporated into Article 70,” he said, adding that the BNP would submit a note of dissent on this issue.
Additionally, Salahuddin noted that the BNP does not agree with the proposal to appoint the chairpersons of parliamentary standing committees from the main opposition party.
He explained that while opposition party members may be appointed to some committees, appointing them to lead all standing committees is not a realistic proposal.
NCP Joint Convener Sarwar Tushar and the coordinator of the Reform Coordination Committee echoed this sentiment. They argued that a vote of confidence, alongside the finance bill, is necessary to ensure both parliamentary independence and governmental stability.
Zonayed Saki, convenor of Gono Songhoti Andolon, remarked that if a vote of confidence is held, the prime minister would remain unchallenged. He added: “We need to find a way forward. Rather than resolving everything in a single session, we must continue discussions to determine where consensus lies.”
Prof Ali Riaz, vice president of the National Consensus Commission, said that the commission would revisit key issues before reaching any final decisions.
Ali Riaz emphasized that the goal is to finalize a national charter by July and that all political parties must understand the primary aim of the initiative is to reach a basic consensus.
In his opening remarks at the Commission meeting, Ali Riaz stated: “We must arrive at a conclusion through this discussion. Given time constraints, we need to decide what will and will not be included in the charter we aim to finalize by July.”
He also noted that during the dialogue, political parties might revise their positions after hearing one another’s arguments.
Riaz pointed out that public interest in the commission’s activities has grown. As a result, parts of the discussions are being broadcast live to ensure transparency and public awareness.
He clarified that parties can outline unresolved issues in their election manifestos, and it will be up to the public to decide their responses.
“The dialogue addressed Article 70 of the Constitution, the reservation of women’s seats, the leadership of parliamentary standing committees, and the duration and structure of the caretaker government,” added Ali Riaz.
On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami voiced support for holding local government elections simultaneously with national elections under a non-partisan caretaker government.
Abdullah Mohammed Taher, Nayeb-e-Ameer (Vice President) of Jamaat-e-Islami, said: “We have proposed that both national and local elections be held under a caretaker government.”
Taher added that Jamaat-e-Islami supports allowing MPs to vote outside party lines on all issues except the finance bill, votes of confidence, and constitutional amendments.
The NCP also supports holding local government elections alongside national elections under a non-partisan caretaker government.
Regarding the caretaker government’s term, Sarwar Tushar stated that the NCP agrees with a four-month tenure during the election period.
He also mentioned that some parties support a six-month term, but a final decision has not yet been made.
“We are flexible about whether the term should be three or four months. If local government elections are included, four months may be necessary,” said Sarwar Tushar.
A total of 30 political parties participated in the discussions, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Khelafat Majlis, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), Nagorik Oikya, Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Bangladesh JSD), National Democratic Movement (NDM), Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Gano Songhoti Andolon, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Biplobi Workers Party, Nationalist Like-Minded Alliance, 12-Party Alliance, Islamic Andolan Bangladesh, Gono Forum, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BASD), Bangladesh Labour Party, Zaker Party, Jatiya Gano Front, Bangladesh Aam Janatar Dal, Bhashani Anusari Parishad/Bhashani Janshakti Party, Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist), Jamiat-e Ulama-e Islam Bangladesh, and Islami Oikya Jote.
The meeting was presided over by Prof Ali Riaz. Commission members Dr Mohammad Ayub Mia, Justice Md Emdadul Haque, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Safar Raj Hossain, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, and the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for Consensus Building, Monir Haider, were also present.
