BNP Rejects Proposal for National Constitutional Council over Accountability Concerns: Salahuddin

By Masum Billah

Dhaka, 18 June — The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has opposed the formation of the proposed National Constitutional Council (NCC), citing fundamental concerns over its lack of accountability, senior party leader Salahuddin Ahmed said Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists following the ongoing second phase of dialogue between the National Consensus Commission and political parties at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the BNP Standing Committee member criticised the structure and scope of the proposed NCC, warning that it risks upsetting the balance of power in the country’s governance system.

“The functions being proposed for the NCC are traditionally carried out by the executive or are guided by constitutional provisions. A powerful, unelected body without clear accountability is not acceptable for any democratic party,” Salahuddin stated.

He argued that the creation of such a council, detached from established legal and institutional mechanisms, could undermine both democratic norms and state stability.

On the presidential election process, Salahuddin reaffirmed the BNP’s position that the president should be elected by existing members of parliament, and—if an upper house is eventually introduced—by its members as well.

He also stressed the need for reforms in the appointment procedures for constitutional positions. “There are existing laws governing these appointments. We need to amend and improve those, not bypass them through a new body,” he said.

According to the National Consensus Commission’s proposal, the NCC would act as an oversight mechanism and advisory body to the president, responsible for nominating key office bearers including the chief election commissioner, attorney general, heads of the Public Service Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, Human Rights Commission, and others.

Comprising members from all three branches of the state, the NCC would include the president, prime minister, opposition leader, chief justice, speakers and deputy speakers from both houses of parliament, and one member selected by a majority of MPs outside the ruling and opposition camps.

Despite the commission’s assurances that the NCC aims to ensure transparency and balance, the BNP remains firm in its opposition.

“The principle of checks and balances cannot be upheld by simply adding another unchecked institution,” Salahuddin said.

The debate around the NCC marks a critical moment in Bangladesh’s ongoing political dialogue over constitutional and institutional reforms, as major parties weigh governance innovation against risks to democratic accountability.