Bangladesh panel holds first meeting on constitutional reforms

Bangladesh’s parliamentary special committee on constitutional amendment held its first meeting Tuesday, formally starting the government’s effort to revise the Constitution.

The 12-member panel, chaired by home minister Salahuddin Ahmed, is expected to set its work plan, methodology and timeline for preparing amendment recommendations. Parliament formed the committee on July 13 and instructed it to recommend “necessary amendments” and submit a report to the House, but no deadline has been set.

Opposition parties are not represented after declining to nominate members.

Key unresolved questions include how the committee will address reform proposals in the July National Charter, the scope of its review and when it will report to parliament.

Opposition parties have criticized the process, arguing that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has moved away from the constitutional reform roadmap proposed during the interim government’s tenure.