The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is officially going to join the second phase of discussions under the National Consensus Commission, aimed at building agreement on key state reforms.
A three-member BNP delegation, led by the party’s Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, will participate in the talks scheduled for Monday at 4 PM at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. The session is being chaired by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
The other members of the BNP delegation include Ismail Zabihullah, a member of the Chairperson’s Advisory Council, and Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol, former Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
The ongoing consensus-building effort follows the recommendations submitted by six reform commissions formed after the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024.
These commissions—tasked with reviewing issues related to the constitution, elections, judiciary, anti-corruption, police, and public administration—submitted their reports in February 2025.
Subsequently, the interim government established the National Consensus Commission on 12 February 2025 to engage political parties and stakeholders in finalizing a national charter based on these reform recommendations.
During the first phase of its work, from 15 February to 19 May, the Commission held 45 sessions with 33 political parties and alliances.
A total of 166 key reform recommendations were sent to 38 parties in spreadsheet format, covering areas such as constitutional amendments (70 proposals), electoral reform (27), judicial reform (23), public administration (26), and anti-corruption measures (20).
While most parties submitted their feedback—some with in-depth analysis—BNP’s participation in the second round is considered crucial for broader political consensus. The Commission has expressed optimism about reaching agreement on major reform areas through ongoing dialogue.
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