In a significant development on Tuesday, most political parties in Bangladesh converged on a proposal to allocate 100 reserved seats for women in the upcoming national parliament. This agreement was confirmed by Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission, during a media briefing following the day’s discussions.

Broad Support for Women’s Seats

Riaz noted that there was little opposition to the initiative, with only a couple of parties expressing dissent. He acknowledged that deliberations regarding the election mechanism for these reserved seats are ongoing.

“After an entire day of discussion, we have yet to reach a decision regarding the mechanism of women’s representation in these seats. It would be unrealistic to expect a decision on such an important issue in just one day. We hope to finalise the matter within the next week,” said Ali Riaz.

Amendments to Parliamentary Procedures

The commission’s discussions also addressed proposed amendments to Article 70, which seeks to allow Members of Parliament (MPs) to present independent views, barring money bills and confidence votes. Additionally, there was consensus on appointing members of the opposition to chair several significant parliamentary standing committees, including those focusing on Public Accounts and Public Undertakings.

Chief Justice Appointment and Legislative Structure

Regarding the appointment of the Chief Justice, Ali Riaz stated that while there is general support for amending constitutional provisions, there remains disagreement over the specific procedural changes required. Further discussions are needed to resolve these discrepancies.

On the topic of a bicameral legislature, Riaz mentioned that many political factions have yet to reach a consensus. Talks about allocating 100 seats in a proposed upper house are ongoing and warrant additional discussion.

Commitment to Neutrality

Amidst concerns regarding favoritism towards specific parties, Riaz emphasized the commission’s commitment to neutrality and collaboration with all political groups on crucial national issues.