The Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) commended the government and reform commissions for presenting the first-ever public reports on constitutional and electoral reform, fulfilling a demand arising from the July-August 2024 monsoon uprising for state reconstruction.

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At a press briefing held at the AB Party’s central office in Dhaka on Tuesday, Sunny Abdul Haque, joint general secretary and barrister-at-law, provided the party’s evaluation of the reports.

Asaduzzaman Fuaad, General Secretary of the AB Party and a Barrister-at-law, and Mujibur Rahman Manju, Chairman of the party, also commented on different aspects of the reports.

Key points from the party’s evaluation:

1. Acknowledging Historic Values

The AB Party praised the inclusion of the principles from Bangladesh’s proclamation of independence, emphasizing equality, human dignity, and social justice. This aligns with the party’s recommendations for a constitutional reform centered on the nation’s founding ethos;

2. Concerns on a bicameral legislature

Barrister Fuaad questioned whether Bangladesh is prepared for a bicameral legislature, noting that even developed nations face legislative deadlocks in such systems. Instead, the AB Party proposed:

(i) Expanding the current unicameral parliament, (ii) Reserving an additional 50 seats for underprivileged groups and professionals alongside the existing 50 reserved for women;

3. Focus on candidate attributes

The Party prefers attributes of the candidates to age limits in electoral reforms.

4. Qualitative over cosmetic reforms

Addressing law enforcement, Barrister Fuaad emphasized changing behaviour and service ethics over superficial changes, such as uniform design;

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5. Electoral Duration and Government Mandate, Monju reiterated the AB Party’s earlier suggestion for a two-year election timeline, which has gained broader discussion. He clarified the legitimacy of the current government as a product of a democratic uprising, affirming its mandate comes directly from the people.

Praise for Public Reporting

The Party acknowledged the government’s transparency in sharing the commission’s report and stressed the importance of respecting contributions from all sectors, including students, political parties, and expatriates, who were instrumental during the July-August 2024 movement.