Dhaka, Aug 02 (V7N) – Badiul Alam Majumder, a key member of the National Consensus Commission and head of the Electoral Reform Commission, has said that an upper house in the proposed bicameral legislature should not be formed based on the seat distribution of the lower house. He made these remarks on Saturday (August 2) during a public statement on constitutional and electoral reforms.

“We have proposed, both from the Constitution Reform Commission and the Electoral Reform Commission, that only the upper house can follow proportional representation (PR). Our journey toward reform can begin there,” Majumder said, adding that future improvements can be made gradually based on national consensus.

He further stated that a common point of agreement among various political parties is that one individual should not simultaneously serve as both the head of government and the head of their political party, though there remains a note of dissent on this issue. “Those who disagree will have the opportunity to explain their position to voters during the election and seek a mandate for change,” he said.

Speaking on the legacy of current political leadership, Majumder noted, “Sheikh Hasina did not come to power riding on a tank. She came through elections. But the system that facilitated that power structure was monstrous. If this system is not changed, it risks bringing back authoritarian rule.”

He emphasized that parties have a moral obligation to implement the issues they unanimously agreed upon in the commissions once they gain public support, as part of a broader effort to reshape Bangladesh’s democratic structure.

END/RH/AJ