Professor Dr Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission (NCC) and Chief of the Constitutional Reform Commission, expressed optimism on Monday that specific steps toward elections will be taken soon.
Speaking at a press conference at LD Hall in Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, he said, “Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has reaffirmed elections in December, and I hope concrete actions will follow shortly.”
Riaz emphasised that the reform process and elections are not in conflict. “The NCC’s work won’t disrupt the electoral process,” he assured.
The commission has proposed 166 recommendations, including 70 for constitutional reform, 27 for electoral reform, 23 for the judiciary, 26 for public administration, and 20 for the Anti-Corruption Commission.
He announced that 34 political parties have until March 13 to submit feedback. “Once we receive their opinions, we’ll begin direct talks with party representatives, though no specific date is set yet,” Riaz said. The goal is to draft a national charter by prioritizing areas of agreement. “We aim for swift discussions, quick consensus, and a completed charter,” he added.
Addressing broader input, Riaz noted, “Every citizen, not just political parties, can share views on reforms via our website, alongside party submissions.”
Present at the event were Public Administration Reform Commission Chief Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, Police Reform Commission Chief Safar Raj Hossain, Election Reform Commission Chief Badiul Alam Majumder, Judiciary Reform Commission Chief Justice Emdadul Haque, and Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Chief Dr Iftekharuzzaman.
Formed on February 12 via a Cabinet Division gazette, the seven-member NCC, chaired by Dr Yunus, aims to build consensus with political parties and stakeholders on reforms ahead of the elections.