Most political parties agreed to set aside 100 seats for women in the next parliament, as the National Consensus Commission resumed its second round of talks on Tuesday to build agreement around key reform proposals, including those outlined in the “July Charter” and earlier commission reports.Speaking to reporters, Dr Ali Riaz confirmed the wide agreement on this issue. 
“There was no significant opposition, apart from one or two parties. However, discussions are still underway regarding how these women will be elected,” he said, adding, “We hope to finalise the matter within the next week.”
The dialogue also touched on several key constitutional issues. On Article 70 – which currently restricts MPs from voting against their party line – Dr Riaz said that almost all parties agreed it should be amended to allow MPs more freedom to express independent opinions, except when it comes to money bills and votes of confidence.
There was also strong support for reforming the structure of parliamentary committees. All parties agreed that opposition MPs should chair some key standing committees, and that proportional representation should be ensured in other parliamentary roles as well.

The process for appointing the Chief Justice was another key topic. “Most political parties favour a constitutional amendment to change the appointment process,” Dr Riaz said. “But opinions vary on the specifics of how that should be done. A final decision has yet to be reached.”The idea of a bicameral Parliament – introducing an upper house alongside the current unicameral system – remains a point of contention. Dr Riaz noted that while some parties support the idea, others remain unconvinced. 
“There are still differences in principle, so further discussion is needed. The proposal includes allocating 100 seats in the upper house,” he added.The day’s session, held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, brought together representatives from nearly 30 political parties – including 
the BNP, National Citizen Party (NCP), Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB), Khelafat Majlis, Nagorik Oikya, CPB, Gono Odhikar Parishad, and Gonosonghoti Andolon. The meeting was chaired by the commission’s Vice Chairman Prof Dr Ali Riaz.Disgruntled over the joint statement by Dr Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, Jamaat-e-Islami boycotted Tuesday’s talks. The meeting was delayed by 30 minutes, but the party was absent.
Although the meeting was delayed by 30 minutes in anticipation of their arrival, the party’s seats remained vacant throughout the session. Jamaat had joined the earlier round of talks held prior to Eid-ul-Azha. CA’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, however, expressed optimism that Jamaat will rejoin the discussions today.BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said his party has been open to a number of commission proposals, even those beyond its original reform agenda. 

“You’ll see that when you discuss it with the commission,” he told reporters. He noted that BNP had reached common ground on the judiciary, the magistracy, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and various aspects of the electoral system.Regarding the upper house, he said, “We agree with the idea. The number of seats in the upper house will be 100. It has been named the Senate, although it has not been finalised yet.”
However, not all parties were equally satisfied with how the talks were unfolding. Leaders from the NCP and Gono Odhikar Parishad voiced concerns about what they described as a lack of neutrality in the process. During the lunch break, NCP’s Ariful Islam Adib and Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Huq Nur accused Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus of leaning towards the BNP.
“There are allegations that the dialogue is prioritising a particular party,” Nurul Huq Nur said. “We’ve pointed out that many individuals outside formal party structures played a vital role in the mass movement as well.”Responding to the criticism, Dr Riaz reiterated the commission’s commitment to impartiality. “We are doing our utmost to maintain neutrality and work collectively with all political parties on matters of national interest,” he said.
This second phase of dialogue was officially launched on 2 June by chief adviser and commission Chairman Prof Yunus. The commission’s first round of talks began on 20 March, involving 33 parties and alliances, in a bid to develop a national consensus on sweeping state reforms proposed by the interim government.The commission itself was formed on 15 February, following political upheaval in late 2024. It has been tasked with forging a unified national stance on critical reform measures. Reports from six specialised reform committees, originally established in October last year, were submitted in February this year and now form the basis for these ongoing discussions.The second round of talks is scheduled to continue today and tomorrow.