Bangladesh Constitution Amendment: Special committee convenes first meeting today

The parliamentary special committee formed to oversee Bangladesh's constitution amendment process will hold its inaugural meeting today.

The meeting is scheduled for 12:00pm in the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat, where members are expected to hold preliminary discussions on recommendations submitted by the Constitution Reform Commission, proposals from various political parties, and a possible framework for constitutional amendments.

The committee is also expected to begin drafting a roadmap for the amendment process.

According to the Parliament Secretariat, meeting notices have already been sent to committee members.

Officials said the meeting would include an initial exchange of views on proposed amendments to various constitutional provisions submitted by different stakeholders. The committee is also likely to discuss its working procedures, future action plan and the process of seeking opinions from constitutional experts and other relevant specialists.

The meeting will be chaired by Salahuddin Ahmed, who heads the 17-member parliamentary special committee.

Bangladesh constitution amendment gains momentum

Observers say constitutional reform has assumed renewed significance in Bangladesh's post-July political landscape, with growing calls for changes to the electoral system, the balance of state power, the protection of fundamental rights, judicial independence, accountability of constitutional institutions and the decentralisation of authority.

The special committee is expected to work towards building political consensus on these issues.

However, questions remain over how inclusive the process will be in the absence of representatives from the opposition.

Political analysts argue that ensuring participation from all parliamentary parties would enhance the credibility and public acceptance of any constitutional amendments.

Committee formed with vacant opposition seats

According to the Parliament Secretariat, the special committee was formed on 13 July, two days before the conclusion of the second session of the Jatiya Sangsad.

Although the committee is designed to have 17 members, it currently comprises 12, as the opposition has yet to nominate its five representatives. The existing members include lawmakers from the ruling alliance and several other political parties, while the seats allocated to the opposition alliance remain vacant.

The opposition staged a walkout from Parliament in protest against the committee's formation.

At the time, Parliament announced that opposition members would be able to join the committee at any stage if they chose to do so. Informal communication with opposition parties is continuing in an effort to make the reform process more participatory.

Reform drive follows July National Charter

Bangladesh's Constitution, first adopted in 1972, has been amended 17 times.

Following the 5 August 2024 mass uprising that led to the fall of the Awami League government, demands for comprehensive state reforms intensified.

During the tenure of the interim government, reform initiatives were launched in 11 sectors, including the Constitution, judiciary, police, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the electoral system and public administration.

After months of dialogue between political parties on the recommendations of the reform commissions, the July National Charter was adopted on 17 October 2025.

In November, President Mohammad Shahabuddin issued the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, paving the way for the promulgation of the Referendum Ordinance.

Under the order, Members of Parliament were also required to take an oath as members of the Constitutional Reform Council.

While 77 lawmakers from the opposition alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami took both oaths, MPs from the ruling BNP-led alliance did not take the oath as members of the Constitutional Reform Council.