Constitution amendment committee to hold first meeting on August 4

The parliamentary Special Committee on Constitutional Amendment will hold its first meeting on August 4, formally launching deliberations on proposed constitutional changes amid continuing political disagreement over whether the Constitution should be amended or fundamentally reformed to implement the July Charter.

The meeting will be held at the Jatiya Sangsad and chaired by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, who heads the 12-member committee.

Committee member Andaleeve Rahman Partho confirmed the development, saying members had been informed that the committee's inaugural meeting would take place on August 4.

The special committee was constituted on July 13, just two days before the conclusion of parliament's second session. Its formation, however, triggered controversy after the Opposition staged a walkout, alleging the government had ignored the outcome of the referendum while establishing the panel.

Although the committee was initially planned as a 17-member body, with five seats reserved for the Opposition, those positions remain vacant after Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis declined to nominate representatives.

The parties argued that they do not accept the committee's conceptual basis and therefore see no justification for joining its proceedings.

The BNP, meanwhile, has maintained that Opposition parties may still participate by nominating members at any stage of the process.

Following repeated requests for nominations, parliament approved a 12-member committee, leaving the five Opposition seats vacant until the remaining parties decide to join.

Besides Chairman Salahuddin Ahmed, the committee comprises Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman, State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mir Helal Uddin, State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin, BNP lawmakers Zainul Abedin, Shakila Farzana and Mahmudul Haque Rubel, Ganosamhati Andolon lawmaker Zonayed Saki, Bangladesh Jatiya Party lawmaker Andaleeve Rahman Partho, Gono Odhikar Parishad lawmaker Nurul Haque, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh lawmaker Md Oli Ullah.