Commission sees solution in consensus among parties

The National Consensus Commission (NCC) believes the crisis centring constitutional reforms and the July Charter's implementation will be resolved if political parties negotiate and reach a consensus.
The parties, too, agree that negotiations could ease the complexities.
However, some parties have taken to the streets to demand the charter be implemented in constitutional order and the next election be held under it.
Fears mount that if the parties fail to reach a consensus by November, a political crisis will emerge ahead of the elections.
The commission cannot suggest any reform for implementation after November.
This is because the Election Commission (EC) is expected to announce the election schedule, and no constitutional reforms will be possible after that.
Some parties, including the BNP, see Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamist parties' movement demanding the charter's implementation and elections based on it as obstacles towards political negotiations.
However, they also see street protests as political rights to organise assemblies.
The NCC has observed that if a political consensus is reached outside the commission, the crisis over constitutional reforms and the charter's implementation will not be there.
Its member Badiul Alam Majumdar tells The Financial Express he does not think negotiation and consensus will be hampered because of the disagreement among the parties.
"I see cordial relations among the parties and eagerness to reach a consensus on the charter's implementation."
He believes the country is not going to see a political standstill ahead of the elections over the charter's implementation.
Parties can arrange programmes. It is their right and may not affect the progress in reaching a consensus, he observes.
The parties are holding informal talks to solve the crisis over the charter's implementation, he says, adding the commission is also in touch with them to help reach a consensus.
In the latest meeting with the parties last week, the commission shared its expert panel's recommendations.
The panel suggested issuing a "constitutional order" to implement the charter, with the final approval coming from the people through a referendum.
The referendum would be mentioned in the constitutional order and held simultaneously with the next parliamentary elections.
The Jamaat and the National Citizen Party (NCP) continue to demand the national elections be held based on the charter, with prior approval.
The BNP says reforms not linked to the constitution could be implemented by executive orders, but remains firm on leaving these to the next parliament.
After the meeting with the NCC, BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said talks were underway among the parties to reach a consensus, including on avoiding unconstitutional moves and stopping the resurgence of fascism in the country.
He also criticised Jamaat and other parties for protesting on the streets over the charter's implementation.
This, he observed, could undermine the consensus process.
The BNP also suggested seeking guidance from the Supreme Court under Article 106 of the Bangladesh constitution.
The NCC hopes the parties will reach a minimum consensus through informal discussions on implementing the charter and thus postpone formal talks until Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus returns home from the US on October 2.
During this period, the commission will remain in touch with the parties and facilitate dialogues among them.
The government extended the commission's tenure for the second time, until October 15, after the parties failed to agree on the charter implementation method.
"We can hold discussions with the parties before that as our efforts are on to help them reach a consensus on the implementation method," Badiul says.
He believes the commission can complete its task before the tenure ends. Jamaat, meanwhile, says it has accepted the commission's recommendations for a constitutional order to implement the charter.

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