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• In the first round of talks, most political parties opposed impeaching the president
• They said the move could create a “constitutional crisis” and delay elections
• Only four parties support Shahabuddin’s removal
• Student leaders say second round of dialogues will be held for reconciliation

In the first round of dialogues with leaders of the Student Anti-Discrimination Movement and the National Citizens’ Committee, most political parties, including the BNP, opposed the impeachment of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, warning that it could lead to a “constitutional crisis”.

In the first round, approximately 30 political parties entered into separate dialogues; 26 of them said a national consensus needed to be reached before taking such a significant step, suggesting that a sudden vacancy in office could delay the election.

Only four parties – Jamaat-e-Islami, AB Party, Islami Andolon and a faction of Gono Odhikar Parishad – supported the student leaders’ demand for Shahabuddin’s removal. They said the Constitution cannot be used as an excuse to keep Shahabuddin in office.

According to student leaders, a second round of dialogues with the parties will be held soon to reach consensus on the issue.

The interim government argues that political consensus must be reached before taking any steps.

On October 27, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan told reporters: “Efforts are being made to reach a political consensus on the impeachment or resignation of the President. We need to wait for a political consensus to emerge.”

“This is an important decision. We can’t rush it, but we can’t afford too much delay either,” he added.

What did the parties say after the dialogues?

BNP: After the dialogue, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called on the interim government not to make hasty decisions on this issue.

He told the media: “To ensure that the revolution bears fruit, no hasty decision can be made. We believe that the impeachment of the president must follow a constitutional process and that quick elections followed by electoral reforms are essential.”

Community: Contrary to the BNP’s stance, Jamaat-e-Islami General Secretary Mia Ghulam Parwar told reporters: “This issue (impeachment of the president) is being pursued with reference to the constitutional crisis. The constitution should not be used as an excuse, as was the case in the July uprising. I did not comply with this, the Advisory Council said.” “There was no formation.”

“We want to solve the president issue in the same way we established the interim government based on national consensus. We do not want national unity to be damaged because of this.”

12-Party Alliance: After the dialogue, 12-Party Alliance Spokesperson Shahadat Hossain told reporters: “If there is a vacancy in the Presidential seat now, it will lead to a constitutional crisis and cause the elections to be postponed. We also said this in our meeting with student leaders.”

Left Democratic Alliance: The Left Democratic Alliance held a dialogue with the leaders of the National Citizens’ Committee and the Student Anti-Discrimination Movement yesterday at Mukti Bhavan, the office of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) in Old Paltan, Dhaka.

Masoud Rana, the coordinator of the alliance, said at the press conference after the meeting, “We have no moral objection to the dismissal of the President. However, we need to discuss the process and the constitutional basis among ourselves.” he said.

“The Constitution does not belong to a single party. We believe that the dismissal of the President should have a constitutional basis. For this, it is essential to reach a consensus among political parties.”

Bangladesh Socialist Party (Basad) Deputy Secretary General Razekuzzaman Ratan said, “We do not want to follow a path that will lead to new conspiracies. Therefore, it is of great importance to reach a common consensus by discussing with all political parties.” “In order for democracy to prevail over fascism, road maps for this transition need to be developed.”

Ganatantra Manch: “Given the complexities surrounding the expulsion issue, political consensus needs to be reached before taking any decision,” Mahmdur Rahman Manna, the Ghanatantra Manch Coordinator of the six-party alliance, told reporters after a dialogue with student leaders.

What did the National Citizens Committee say?

However, at a press conference held at the capital’s CPB headquarters yesterday, National Citizens Committee Convener Nasiruddin Patwari said: “All political parties have agreed on the removal of the president. We will discuss the process in the second round and contact the government. It will be made public in advance.”

“The President must go; it is now up to the political parties to decide on the process. We do not want any remnants of fascism in this country,” he added.

When asked how a compromise could be achieved, he replied: “A commission consisting of representatives of various political parties can be established to address the issue of impeachment of the President.”

Adib Arif, a member of the National Citizens’ Committee, a political platform formed by students and civil society members to rebuild Bangladesh, told TBS: “While everyone is in favor of impeaching the president, they emphasize that this should continue. We came out with consensus.” “