Unresolved reform issues to be made public: Ali Riaz

Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission Prof Ali Riaz has said the reform issues on which political parties failed to reach a consensus will also be made public to ensure transparency, reports UNB.

"There is a consensus among political parties on some basic issues. We will share these. And we will also share the issues on which consensus could not be reached, for the sake of transparency and to help people in the future decision-making process in political initiatives," he said.

Ali Riaz made the remarks while addressing a discussion with the Civil Society representatives at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in the capital on Sunday.

Referring to the dialogues with political parties, Prof Ali Riaz said there has been a consensus among the parties on some fundamental matters, while agreement on other key issues still remains elusive. "Given the ideological differences among political parties, it is not realistic to expect agreement on everything," he said.

He mentioned the Commission's efforts to prepare a national charter and a comprehensive report that would reflect the range of opinions gathered through dialogues.

Prof Ali Riaz emphasised the importance of engaging civil society in the reform process, saying that it is also essential to reach a unity in the civil society alongside the political arena over the reform initiatives.

"Discussions with political parties alone are not sufficient for building national consensus. There needs to be a shared understanding within civil society as well. So, the active participation of civil society in reform processes is essential," he said.