Leaders of various professional organizations, young intellectuals and cultural activists yesterday proposed the introduction of a federal system of government and amending the constitution through consensus among political parties.

The proposed federal system of government will decentralize power by bringing in state governments, unlike the current unitary system in Bangladesh where power is concentrated in the central government.

Officials added that this change aims to ensure equitable regional development and greater autonomy for local government.

At the meeting with the constitutional reform commission in the cabinet room of the national parliament building, it was also proposed to directly elect the president and maintain a balance of power between the president and the prime minister.

Currently, Bangladesh follows a parliamentary system in which the prime minister has executive power and the president, indirectly elected by the parliament, serves as a largely ceremonial head of state.

The speakers also suggested introducing a provision in the constitution requiring political parties to nominate 25-30 percent of women in national polls and abolishing the current system of reserved seats for women. Other proposals included re-establishing the interim government system and initiating referendums to make critical government decisions.

President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Mahbub Uddin Khokon said, “As part of ensuring the full independence of the judiciary, we have suggested the establishment of a separate secretariat for the judiciary.”

He emphasized the need for consensus and determination among political parties to pass constitutional amendments through parliament when they come to power after the election. He also argued that state governments should ensure the development of all regions of the country.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists general secretary Kader Gani Chowdhury suggested establishing a bicameral parliament to eliminate the risk of one-man rule in the future.

He also suggested removing Article 70 of the constitution and adding provisions on referendums and the ombudsman.

A bicameral parliament will typically consist of two separate houses, a lower and upper house, to ensure more balanced representation and avoid concentration of power in a single body; whereas, Bangladesh currently has a unicameral parliament consisting of a single house called Jatiya Sangsad.

Meanwhile, Article 70 of the current constitution prevents MPs from voting against their own party’s position, effectively limiting their independence; The withdrawal proposal would give MPs greater freedom to vote according to their conscience.

Adil Muhammad Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, also endorsed the use of referendums, arguing that major divisive decisions such as the construction of the Rampal power plant should be taken by popular vote.

He also suggested that the term “founding fathers” could be adopted in the constitution instead of the concept of “Father of the Nation” to recognize and honor the contributions of other important figures in the War of Independence.

Representatives from different professional organizations also shared their views on constitutional reforms. These include Nesrin Begum, President of the Arbitration Court of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry; Kabir Hossain, convenor of the Interim Central Convening Committee of the Institute of Diploma Engineers; Anjan Das, vice president of Bangladesh Garments Sramik Sanghati; Chowdhury Ashiqul Alam, president of Bangladesh Trade Union Sangha; and CHT Nagorik Committee member Nirupa Dewan.

Commission chairman Professor Ali Riaz presided over the meeting, which was attended by commission members including Professor Sumaiya Khair, Lawyer Imran Siddiq, Professor Mohammad Ikramul Haque, Sharif Bhuiyan, Lawyer M Moin Alam Firozi, Firoz Ahmed and Md Mustain Billah.

This was the commission’s fifth debate.