Thursday, 10 July, 2025
National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz has said that political parties have reached a consensus that the declaration of a state of emergency must never be used for political purposes under any circumstances.
“Political parties have also agreed to amend, add to, remove, or revise all provisions of Article 141 (a), (b), and (c) of the current Constitution,” he stated during a press briefing on Tuesday, following the 10th day of the second phase of the Commission’s dialogue with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
Present at the briefing were Commission members Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Safar Raj Hossain, Dr Md Ayub Mia, and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, Monir Haidar.
Professor Riaz noted that discussions during the day’s session focused on two key issues: the declaration of a state of emergency and the phased expansion of subordinate courts at the upazila (sub-district) level.
He pointed out that Article 141 of the Constitution, which deals with the declaration of a state of emergency, had not previously been subjected to significant discussion. “In light of earlier deliberations, the Commission has now drafted a revised proposal concerning the state of emergency. This proposal will require further discussion in the next session to clarify the level of consensus reached,” he added.
The participating political parties and alliances expressed their support for the phased expansion of subordinate courts at the upazila level. However, Professor Riaz stated that they believe certain factors must be considered in the implementation process.
“For instance,” he explained, “courts in the Sadar upazilas should be affiliated with the relevant District Judge’s Court, and this relationship must be clearly defined.”
He also stressed that existing courts—such as Chowki Courts, Island Courts, and other established facilities—should be preserved and properly resourced. “There is no need to establish new courts in upazilas located close to district headquarters,” he said, adding that a thorough survey is essential before any further steps are taken.
The Commission proposes that the establishment of new courts in remaining upazilas be carried out in phases, taking into account several factors including population density, geographical location, transport infrastructure, distance from administrative centres, local economic conditions, and caseload volume.
Representatives from 30 political parties took part in the day’s discussions with the National Consensus Commission. These included the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), Gana Odhikar Parishad, Gana Sanghati Andolon, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, and the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, among others.
Comments
National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz has said that political parties have reached a consensus that the declaration of a state of emergency must never be used for political purposes under any circumstances.
“Political parties have also agreed to amend, add to, remove, or revise all provisions of Article 141 (a), (b), and (c) of the current Constitution,” he stated during a press briefing on Tuesday, following the 10th day of the second phase of the Commission’s dialogue with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
Present at the briefing were Commission members Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Safar Raj Hossain, Dr Md Ayub Mia, and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, Monir Haidar.
Professor Riaz noted that discussions during the day’s session focused on two key issues: the declaration of a state of emergency and the phased expansion of subordinate courts at the upazila (sub-district) level.
He pointed out that Article 141 of the Constitution, which deals with the declaration of a state of emergency, had not previously been subjected to significant discussion. “In light of earlier deliberations, the Commission has now drafted a revised proposal concerning the state of emergency. This proposal will require further discussion in the next session to clarify the level of consensus reached,” he added.
The participating political parties and alliances expressed their support for the phased expansion of subordinate courts at the upazila level. However, Professor Riaz stated that they believe certain factors must be considered in the implementation process.
“For instance,” he explained, “courts in the Sadar upazilas should be affiliated with the relevant District Judge’s Court, and this relationship must be clearly defined.”
He also stressed that existing courts—such as Chowki Courts, Island Courts, and other established facilities—should be preserved and properly resourced. “There is no need to establish new courts in upazilas located close to district headquarters,” he said, adding that a thorough survey is essential before any further steps are taken.
The Commission proposes that the establishment of new courts in remaining upazilas be carried out in phases, taking into account several factors including population density, geographical location, transport infrastructure, distance from administrative centres, local economic conditions, and caseload volume.
Representatives from 30 political parties took part in the day’s discussions with the National Consensus Commission. These included the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), Gana Odhikar Parishad, Gana Sanghati Andolon, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, and the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, among others.
Comments
