The ruling BNP is not bothered about the opposition Jamaat-e-Islam’s warning of street protests if the session of the Constitutional Reform Council is not convened as forming the council is not on its priority list.
Besides, establishing a Constitutional Reform Council outside the parliamentary framework, in line with the July charter implementation order, could lead to legal complications, The Daily Star has learnt from several BNP leaders involved with the party’s deliberations on the matter.
“Rival parties are raising the issue loudly, but they are not presenting arguments on constitutional grounds,” said a BNP lawmaker asking not to be named to speak candidly on the issue.
The Jamaat-led 11-party alliance has threatened to take to the streets if a session of the Constitutional Reform Council is not convened in the parliament today.
Pressure from the rival parties is not significant enough to alter the BNP’s approach to constitutional reforms, said the party leaders, adding that the campaign is to force the ruling party to commit to a timetable of the opposition’s choice.
“If anyone wants to take to the streets, they can do that -- that is their freedom,” said Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.
The BNP leaders stressed that constitutional reforms should be debated and passed in the parliament, where elected MPs can participate and decide on such matters.
“We will move forward by following the constitutional process,” said a standing committee member on condition of anonymity.
Under the July charter order, members of the 13th parliament are expected to perform the dual role of lawmakers and as members of a Constitution Reform Council to deal with 48 constitutional provisions outlined in the July charter within 180 working days.
For this purpose, the MPs were required to take two separate oaths: one as members of the parliament and another as members of the council.
However, uncertainty remains over the formation of the council, proposed under the July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order, 2025, as two-thirds of the lawmakers are from BNP and its allies and they did not take the oath as members of the council.
However, 77 members of Jamaat alliances took both oaths.
The crisis became more complex, as Jamaat demanded the convening of the council session by President Mohammed Sahabuddin in line with the July charter implementation order.
According to the order, the first session of the council shall be summoned, in the same manner as the first session of the parliament, within 30 calendar days of the declaration of the election results. Gazette of the results were issued on February 13.
However, while convening the parliament on February 23, the president did not mention anything about convening a session of the reform council.
Regarding Jamaat’s call for convening the session of the council, Salahuddin said: “We have been elected as members of the parliament. We have taken oath as members of parliament. The president has called the session of the national parliament. The president has not called the Constitution Reform Council. So we are attending what has been called, according to the constitution.”
The council as proposed may conflict with the constitutional structure if it operates outside the authority of parliament, said a BNP policymaker on the condition of anonymity.
The BNP will only support and implement the reform proposals on which they did not submit a note of dissent during the discussion of the July National Charter.
