BNP Slams Consensus Commission Recommendations, Calls it ‘Disunity Commission’
BNP Senior Standing Committee Member Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku has strongly criticized the National Consensus Commission’s recommendations for implementing the July Charter, delivered to the interim government on Tuesday (October 28).
Tuku asserted that the BNP is a key stakeholder in implementing the July Charter, yet none of their proposals were included in the commission’s final recommendations. In fact, he claimed that the commission instead adopted points that the party had openly opposed. Consequently, the BNP has branded the body an “Onoiikyo Commission” (Disunity Commission).
🚨 Allegations of Being Sidelined
The party expressed deep anger, stating their views and proposals were completely ignored. Even a promise to include the BNP’s ‘Note of Dissent’ was broken.
• The BNP Standing Committee held a virtual meeting on Tuesday night (October 28) at the Chairperson’s office in Gulshan, presided over by Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman virtually from London.
• The party believes the final recommendations clearly reflect the opinions of Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), which align closely with the government’s stance.
• The BNP concluded that the government and the Consensus Commission are deliberately and systematically sidelining the party from the reform process.
🏛️ Comparison to Authoritarian Frameworks
The Consensus Commission’s core recommendation is that the future parliament, for the first 270 days (9 months), will serve as a ‘Constitution Reform Council’. During this period, proposals passed by a national referendum are supposed to be incorporated into the Constitution. Crucially, the recommendations state that if the reforms are not completed within the 270 days, the proposals will be automatically integrated into the Constitution.
BNP Standing Committee members harshly likened this specific proposal to the authoritarian frameworks of the past, comparing it to:
• Former Pakistani President Yahya Khan’s ‘Legal Framework Order (LFO)’.
• Ayub Khan’s ‘Basic Democracy’ system.
They argue this is an attempt to impose the views of a few parties on the nation, calling it a “deception” against the people and political parties.
🗣️ Strong Reactions from BNP Leaders
• Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Standing Committee Member, stated that the commission’s recommendations bear no resemblance to the July Charter signed by 25 political parties on October 17. He fears the key objective is to sabotage the 13th national general election.
• Salahuddin Ahmed, another Standing Committee Member, used a sporting analogy, saying, “We have never seen a referee score a goal. But now it seems the Consensus Commission, the government, and several other political parties have all become one team.”
