BNP wants recruitment of chief justice from 3 most senior judges of Appellate Division

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has proposed making it obligatory to appoint the chief justice from the three most senior judges of the Appellate Division.

BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed disclosed this while talking to newspersons in a break during the party’s meeting with the national consensus commission for the third day at the LD Hall of the national parliament Tuesday.

The BNP leader said they have agreed with the proposal that impeachment of the president would need two thirds of the votes from both houses of the parliament.

Besides, the party has also agreed with the proposal to appoint an ombudsman.

Salahuddin Ahmed said the BNP agreed with most of the proposals placed by the reform commission saying, “They have proposed to revoke the eighth, ninth, tenth, twelfth and fifteenth amendments of the constitution.”

BNP also agreed with the proposal to remove secularism from the constitution and add equality, human dignity and social justice, he said adding the party has proposed to include these a the basic human rights.

The BNP leader further said they were committed to bring a balance of power between the prime minister and the president.

They have proposed to keep the option for a person to become the prime minister for the third time following a break after serving two consecutive terms as the PM. However, they have not agreed to the proposal that the same person cannot be the parliament leader and the party chief at the same time.

Salahuddin Ahmed said the post of parliament leader should be held by the prime minister and It should be left to the majority party to decide whether the party leader and the prime minister will be the same person.

However, they have agreed to the proposal that party symbols cannot be used during the local government polls and the proposal to introduce four tiers at the local administration.

Salahuddin Ahmed said that the BNP agrees with the proposal for a bicameral parliament, with 400 seats in the lower house—including 100 reserved for women—and 100 seats in the upper house.

Apart from Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP chairperson’s advisory council member Ismail Jabiullah, advocate Ruhul Kuddus Kajal and former secretary Abu Mohammad Moniruzzaman are taking part in the meeting with the national consensus commission on behalf of the BNP.

Consensus commission vice-president professor Ali Riaz is presiding over the meeting. Commission members justice Emdadul Haque, Badiul Alam Majumdar, Iftekharuzzaman, Safar Raj Hossain and special assistant to the chief adviser Monir Haider are present at the meeting.

The consensus commission is holding a series of meetings with the political parties to discuss the major recommendations made by five reform commissions. The commission is holding the meeting with the BNP as part of that.