Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
Vice chairman of the National Consensus Commission, Prof Ali Riaz, on Saturday said that everyone needs to work together to build a new Bangladesh so that fascism and repressive systems cannot return.
He made the comment while delivering his speech at the talks with the National Citizen Party (NCP), held at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad Complex. "Now our task is to work together to build a new Bangladesh so that fascist rule does not return, democratic institutions take permanent shape, and the rights of people are established. We must also eliminate disappearances, killings, extrajudicial executions, and all forms of oppression,” Riaz said.
An eight-member NCP delegation, led by its Convener Nahid Islam, attended the dialogue at 10:30am with Prof Ali Riaz in the chair.
The National Consensus Commission arranged the talks as part of a series of dialogues with political parties to reach a national consensus on the state reform initiatives undertaken by the interim government.
Riaz said the aspirations for democracy have repeatedly been undermined in Bangladesh.
“We have witnessed how the victories achieved through democratic struggles have been trampled in various ways and how the state was brought under the control of one person, establishing a centralized system of governance,” he said.
Noting that discussions with political parties will continue if necessary, he said: "We want to prepare a national charter that reflects the aspirations of the nation."
Praising the NCP leaders for spearheading the July uprising, Riaz said they fought fearlessly against prolonged fascist rule, risking their lives.
He noted that their comrades even sacrificed their lives to defeat a fascist regime.
“We are grateful to you. The nation will remember you as part of history. You have created a bright chapter in history,” said the vice chairman of the National Consensus Commission.
Consensus Commission members Safar Raj Hossain, Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, and Dr Iftekharuzzaman were present at the discussion, which was moderated by Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haider.
On March 20, the National Consensus Commission began its dialogues with political parties, aiming to build a national consensus on the reform initiatives undertaken by the interim government.
The commission has already held talks with 12 political parties.
Formed under the leadership of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, the commission aims to establish a unified stance on critical reforms.
Since its inception on February 15, 2025, the commission has been working to finalize recommendations for state reform proposals.
In the initial phase, key recommendations from five reform commissions — covering constitutional, public administration, electoral system, judiciary, and anti-corruption reforms — were compiled and shared with 39 political parties for feedback. To date, 34 parties have responded.
The National Consensus Commission is working to build national consensus on the reform initiatives by mid-July, aiming to complete the first round of talks with political parties by the first week of May and begin the second round in the second week of May.
