A decision on the proposed upper house of parliament is likely within the next two days, said Dr Ali Riaz, Vice-Chair of the Consensus Commission, on Sunday.

He said: “We hope to finalise the National Charter by the end of July, which I believe all of you desire as well. That is why we are able to move forward. We have already reached consensus on several issues, though some matters still require discussion.”

Ali Riaz made the remarks at the beginning of the second phase of the Commission’s 15-day dialogue with political parties, held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.

On the issue of the upper house, he said the Commission was tasked by the political parties to review the matter thoroughly. 

He said: “We initially hoped to announce a decision following Friday-Saturday’s discussions. However, the Commission has decided to take a little more time to assess it. Your proposals are being reviewed again, along with relevant constitutional issues. We expect to reach a decision within two days.”

Addressing the topic of the caretaker government, Dr Riaz said that after several rounds of discussions, the Commission had put forward a number of proposals for review. In response, four parties—Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Workers Party, National Citizen Party (NCP), and Jamaat-e-Islami—submitted separate proposals.

“These have been analysed and combined into a consolidated proposal, which reflects both the substance of your submissions and the essence of our recent discussions,” he said. “We hope today’s talks will bring us to consensus on this matter.”

Dr Riaz reiterated the Commission’s target of finalising the National Charter by 31 July. “This is a shared goal. The people of this country also expect it. For the past 14 years, we have collectively pursued the restoration of the caretaker system. We believe consensus on the appointment of the Chief Adviser can also be reached.”

He added that the Commission would also address the issue of a Prime Minister holding multiple offices, expressing hope for agreement on that front as well.

SMS/