Ali Riaz, Vice President of the National Consensus Commission, has stated that most political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens Party (NCP), have agreed to limit the prime minister’s term to a maximum of 10 years.
However, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and two other parties have expressed dissent on this issue.
Speaking on Sunday after the fifth day of the second phase of dialogue between the National Consensus Commission and political parties at the Foreign Service Academy, Ali Riaz explained that the day`s discussions focused on two key issues: the prime minister`s tenure and the fundamental principles of the constitution.
He noted, “After extensive discussion, there is now a clear position that no individual should serve as prime minister for more than 10 years. However, three parties — BNP, the National Democratic Movement (NDM), and the Bangladesh Liberal Democratic Party (BLDP) — have disagreed and requested further review. They wish to re-evaluate the issue in the context of other structural matters, such as the formation of the National Consensus Council and the proposed upper chamber of the legislature.”
Ali Riaz expressed optimism, saying, “So far, all parties except these three have reached a consensus on the prime minister’s term limit. We hope that eventually, all parties will agree on this matter.”
Regarding the second major topic, he said the dialogue also addressed the fundamental principles of the constitution. The Constitutional Reform Commission had previously submitted a proposal, which is now being revised to include broader consensus.
The new draft is expected to emphasize principles such as equality, human dignity, social justice, and democracy, either by explicitly including them as core constitutional principles or by integrating them through alternative mechanisms.
Ali Riaz further announced that at the request of participating political parties, discussions will be suspended for the next two days to allow parties to hold internal consultations at the policy-making level.
He expressed hope that this break would help resolve outstanding issues and bring the parties closer to a final consensus.
