The parliamentary special committee overseeing amendments to Bangladesh’s Constitution holds its inaugural meeting today marking the formal start of the legislative reform process.
Chaired by Salahuddin Ahmed the 12:00 PM session in the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat will evaluate recommendations from the Constitution Reform Commission review political party proposals and establish a procedural roadmap for constitutional amendments.
Formed on July 13—two days before Parliament's second session concluded—the committee operates with 12 members from the ruling alliance and partner parties. Five seats allocated to the opposition remain vacant following an opposition walkout during the committee's formation.
Parliament Secretariat officials confirmed that opposition members can join at any stage, with informal outreach underway. Political analysts stress that full parliamentary representation remains essential for the credibility and public acceptance of any final amendments.
The initiative stems from post-August 2024 political shifts, which prompted multi-sectoral reform drives. Essential provisions were codified in the July National Charter on October 17, 2025 followed by a Presidential Implementation Order in November.
That order required MPs to take a second oath as members of the Constitutional Reform Council. While 77 opposition alliance MPs took both oaths lawmakers from the ruling BNP-led alliance declined the council oath underscoring ongoing debates over the legal framework for constitutional changes.
Today’s meeting aims to define how proposals regarding electoral reform judicial independence executive limits and institutional decentralization will move through Parliament.
