National Citizen Party (NCP) and the Gono Odhikar Parishad on Tuesday accused the National Consensus Commission of favouring a specific political party through a series of decisions.
They also criticised the inclusion of obscure parties in the dialogue, calling the move questionable and biased.
Speaking on the second round of discussions held by the commission, Ariful Islam Adib, joint convener of the NCP, alleged that the commission has leaned towards the proposals made by the BNP on the issue of reform.
“The commission is behaving in a biased manner to benefit a particular party,” he said.
While mechanisms such as ordinances or referendums had previously been discussed regarding reforms, the commission is now placing more emphasis on electoral and post-election reforms, Adib said, expressing concern over the shift in approach, implying it was orchestrated to serve specific political interests.
“Several parties have been invited to the discussions despite lacking any organisational structure or official registration. These parties have appeared only to lend support to the stance of a particular political group. Whatever that party suggests, these others simply endorse it. On the other hand, anyone voicing disagreement is being shouted down,” Adib said.
Referring to last year’s mass uprising in July, Adib emphasised that it was not a success achieved by political parties but by the general public. “The July Charter cannot be dependent solely on political parties’ decisions. It must reflect the views of professional organisations and the general populace,” he asserted.
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Echoing similar sentiments, Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur stressed the need for a referendum in the reform process. “Back in the 1990s, many agreed on various reforms. But nothing significant was achieved. If real reform is desired, there is no alternative to a referendum,” Nur said.
Criticising the participation of so-called fringe parties in the dialogue, Nur questioned, “I don’t know under what criteria the commission is inviting them. Many of these groups are barely known, yet they’re part of the discussions. This undermines the credibility of the dialogue.”
When asked why Gono Parishad, which had previously focused on elections, is now prioritising reform, Nur explained, “Since 5 August, there has been no significant shift in the balance of power. From what I’ve observed in my own constituency, the environment is still not conducive to holding fair elections. That is why we are demanding reforms through a referendum.”
Like the NCP, the Gono Parishad also emphasised that the July Charter must be inclusive and not solely driven by political parties, but reflect participation from all sectors of society.