News Flash
DHAKA, April 20, 2025 (BSS)- BNP wants a person to be eligible again for prime minister post for next term after taking a break following serving in this position for two consecutive tenures.
BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed told media today that there is no logic for narrowing the scope for a person to serve the country.
Salahuddin was talking to media during the break of a meeting of his party with the National Consensus Commission at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban LD Hall.
“BNP favors the reform proposal that a person can’t be prime minister more two consecutive terms. But the party wants a person to be qualified again for the position after taking a break,” he said.
A five-member BNP delegation is taking part in the meeting for the second day. Other members of the delegation are BNP’s standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, BNP chairperson's advisory council member Ismail Zabiullah and lawyer Ruhul Quddus Kajal and retired bureaucrat Moniruzzaman Khan.
“The issue is yet to be placed at the meeting but the party's position is clear,” Salahuddin however said.
Salahuddin Ahmed said, “If the people want to make a person the prime minister again after a break of two terms, that opportunity should not be narrowed. We have proposed to keep the issue open.”
The BNP leader also differed with the proposal of the National Consensus Commission that a person cannot hold the office of the head of the government and ruling political party at the same time.
“We do not see the practice anywhere in the world that the same person cannot be the head of government and the party,” he said.
“In the UK, we see that the party chief assumes the office of the head of the government. This is a democratic practice,” he said.
Salahuddin laid importance on restoration of the Caretaker Government system and an independent Election Commission (EC) to hold all national elections.
“If the EC can hold a free and fair election under a caretaker government then people will accept the elected persons as their representatives,” he said.
Replying to a question, the BNP leader said, BNP differs with Reform Commission's proposal for expanding the scope of fundamental rights.
"BNP wants the state to ensure fundamental rights of the people. Expanding its scope will burden the state's economic expenditure. So, we want to keep those issues only which the state can afford," he said adding that all reforms should be made considering state’s capacity to implement.
Salahuddin also said, BNP disagreed with the proposal of the Reform Commission to lower the minimum age for candidates to 21 years from existing 25 years.
Chairmen can be appointed from among the members of the opposition party for some Parliamentary Standing Committees, but not all, he opined.
Expressing BNP’s position against secularism and pluralism, the BNP leader said, "We have given an opinion against it.
BNP wants to return to the situation before the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, he noted.
Salahuddin said BNP agrees to increase the number of women's seats in parliament from 100 from 50. But the current status should exist until the next parliament is formed.
BNP agrees on the issue of access to the internet as a fundamental right of the people, Salahuddin said, the state has to ensure the fundamental rights of the people.
Stating that BNP does not agree with the theory of the National Constitutional Council (NCC), Salahuddin said, it will awfully reduce the power of the prime minister.
Nazrul Islam Khan said, "We want to cooperate with the commission sincerely. We have come close to the consensus commission on reforms on many issues accept few.
“It is natural to have differences of opinion in a democracy as we don't believe in Baksal, where everyone was bound to agree on a predetermined issue,” he said.
