Vice Chairman of the National Consensus Commission, Prof Ali Riaz, on Sunday said that 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 those. 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 while addressing a discussion.
The National Consensus Commission organised the discussion with civil society members at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in Dhaka.
Referring to the dialogues with political parties, Prof Riaz said there had been agreement on some fundamental matters, while consensus on other key issues remained elusive.
"Given the ideological differences among political parties, it is not realistic to expect agreement on everything," he noted.
He mentioned the Commission's efforts to prepare a national charter and a comprehensive report that would reflect the diverse range of opinions gathered during the dialogues.
Prof Riaz emphasised the importance of engaging civil society in the reform process, saying it is essential to build consensus both in the political arena and within civil society.
"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.
He noted that the Commission had held talks with 33 political parties over the past two months.
President of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), Maj Gen (Retd) ANM Muniruzzaman, Dhaka University Mass Communication and Journalism Professor Gitiara Nasreen, and Dhaka University Sociology Professor Samina Lutfa, among others, also spoke at the discussion.
Consensus Commission members Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Safar Raj Hossain, Md Ayub Miah, and the Chief Adviser's Special Assistant, Monir Haider, were present.
The Consensus Commission launched a series of talks with political parties on March 20 to forge a national consensus on state reform initiatives undertaken by the interim government.
The Commission held dialogues with 33 parties and alliances, including BNP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP), before concluding the first round of discussions on May 19.
Formed on February 15, 2025, under the leadership of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, the Commission was tasked with shaping a unified national stance on critical reforms.
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