The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has reaffirmed its stance that only the national parliamentary election should be held under a non-partisan caretaker government, limiting the caretaker’s tenure to no more than 90 days.
Speaking to reporters during a break in the ongoing National Consensus Commission talks on Tuesday, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed clarified the party`s position.
“We are in favor of conducting only the national election under a caretaker system. BNP does not support the idea of holding local government elections under such a government,” he said at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
Salahuddin also pointed out that BNP disagrees with the Commission’s suggestion of a four-month duration for the caretaker administration.
“We believe a three-month timeframe is sufficient and appropriate,” he added.
On the matter of constitutional reforms, Salahuddin addressed Article 70, reiterating BNP’s proposal to allow cross-party voting by MPs—except on matters related to the finance bill, vote of no confidence, constitutional amendments, and national security.
“If the country faces a war or security crisis, MPs should be free to vote across party lines. This flexibility needs to be incorporated into Article 70,” he said.
Regarding parliamentary operations, Salahuddin rejected the suggestion that all parliamentary standing committees be chaired by opposition lawmakers.
“While some committees can be headed by the opposition, making it universal is not realistic,” he stated.
Tuesday`s session, chaired by Commission Chairman Prof Ali Riaz, included nearly 30 political parties, among them BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP).
The second round of dialogue began Monday, inaugurated by Chief Adviser and Commission Chairman Prof Muhammad Yunus. The National Consensus Commission, formed on February 15, 2025, has been engaging with political parties to reach an agreement on key reforms.
During the first round, concluded on May 19, the Commission consulted with 33 parties and alliances, including BNP, Jamaat, and NCP.
