Constitution amendment committee's first meeting tomorrow

The first meeting of the 12-member Constitution amendment committee is set to be held on Tuesday (August 4) without the participation of the opposition party. The meeting will begin at 12pm at the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Committee President and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed will preside over the meeting.

Parliament Secretariat sources said the first meeting may include introductions of the members and determining the work plan and agenda for subsequent meetings. Detailed discussions on the substantive constitutional amendment are likely to begin from the second meeting.

On July 13, the Jatiya Sangsad formed the 12-member Constitution amendment committee. Although five seats were kept vacant for the opposition, the committee could not be made full as they did not nominate any representatives. The plan was to form a 17-member committee with members from political parties and alliances represented in parliament.

Following the July 2024 uprising and the subsequent demands for state reform, the government initiated the process of amending the Constitution. The committee was formed to advance discussions on the balance of power, the electoral system, judicial independence, fundamental rights and the effectiveness of constitutional institutions.

However, the opposition has from the very beginning demanded constitutional reform rather than amendment. The opposition alliance even walked out of parliament opposing the formation of a special committee on this issue. They have demanded that the constitution be reformed, not merely amended, based on the reform charter prepared through a National Consensus Commission and the verdict of a referendum.