The National Consensus Commission (NCC) has proposed the formation of a 100-member Upper House in Parliament, to be elected through a Proportional Representation (PR) system based on vote share.
The proposal, announced on Thursday during the final session of the second round of dialogue with political parties, has drawn sharp criticism from major parties including BNP and several of its allies.
NCC Vice Chair Professor Ali Riaz shared the decision at 23rd and concluding session held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
According to the proposal, while Upper House would not have legislative authority to pass laws independently, it would be required to review all bills; except financial ones, that originate from Lower House.
Under the framework, Upper House must respond to any bill within a specified timeframe. If it fails to do so within a month, the bill will be deemed approved.
In cases where Upper House rejects a bill, it can return it to the Lower House with suggested amendments.
The Lower House, however, retains the discretion to accept, partially adopt, or reject the changes altogether.
A minimum of 10 percent of Upper House candidates must be women and candidate lists are to be announced alongside those of the general election.
Despite the commission’s efforts to reach consensus, the proposal met with significant resistance.
Before the lunch break, BNP, Labour Party, NDM, 12-Party Alliance and Nationalist Alliance voiced firm objections to PR-based Upper House model.
Following the break, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed reiterated the party’s position, stating that they opposed both proportional system and powers proposed for Upper House.
He demanded their dissent be officially noted.
Leftist and Islamist parties such as Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Aam Janatar Dal went further, rejecting the concept of an Upper House entirely, arguing it is unsuitable given the country’s current socio-economic context.
While the idea of a bicameral legislature had been discussed over multiple sessions, the political parties failed to reach agreement, ultimately leaving the decision to the NCC, which announced the finalized proposal on Thursday.
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