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The government is accelerating the process of implementing the recommendations of the July National Charter and constitutional amendments, with all discussions expected to be completed and a final report placed before parliament by December, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Sunday.
He said supplementary proposals or suggestions considered important for the country and national interest, even if they fall outside the charter’s core framework, would be given due consideration.
Salahuddin made the remarks after a meeting of the special parliamentary committee on constitutional amendments at the Jatiya Sangsad. The 12-member committee, headed by the home minister, was formed to review constitutional changes, with the July National Charter at the centre of the process.
The minister said the government was committed to implementing the July National Charter “to the letter” and passing the 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
He said the Law Ministry would place the amendment bill before parliament immediately after the special committee submits its final report.
Salahuddin said constitutional changes were needed not only to implement commitments made in the July Charter but also to address issues such as the national election and a change in the country’s fiscal year.
He said a proposal had been made to shift the fiscal year from the existing July-June cycle to April-March. According to him, this would help avoid complications over fund allocation at the end of the fiscal year and improve administrative efficiency.
He said the current June 30 year-end often leads to hurried allocation and release of funds during the final quarter, while the rainy season can disrupt project implementation, affect quality and create opportunities for irregularities.
The minister also said the proposed bicameral parliament would have a 100-member upper house, while decisions on the voting ratio or seat structure of the lower house would be included in the parties’ election manifestos. The July Charter’s framework also envisages a 100-member upper house elected on the basis of proportional representation.
Salahuddin said 15 of the 26 political parties that signed the July Charter attended Sunday’s discussions in person, with some sending two or three representatives, while several others submitted written statements.
He said the door remained open for parties that did not sign the charter or did not attend the meeting. Any registered or unregistered political party can submit written opinions or proposals, which the committee will consider, he added.
To expedite the process, the parliament secretariat and the special committee will hold at least one meeting every week, according to the minister.
On calls for a constitutional reform council, Salahuddin said there was no need to rewrite the Constitution or form a separate reform council in an established independent state. He said constitutional amendments adopted through the parliamentary process themselves constituted a form of reform.
He cited constitutional amendments made over time in democratic countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, and said future governments with a popular mandate and the necessary parliamentary majority could amend the Constitution according to changing national needs.
The minister said the government was working to place the 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill before parliament through the Parliamentary Affairs and Law Ministry after reaching the broadest possible political consensus.
He reiterated that the government’s objective was to strengthen the country’s democratic framework by introducing the constitutional amendment bill in parliament as soon as possible with the agreement of political parties.
