Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has conditionally agreed to the proposal by the National Unity Commission that limits a prime minister’s tenure to a maximum of 10 years. 

Salahuddin Ahmed, party’s BNP’s standing committee member said the party will not support this term limit if a ‘constitutional and constitutionally mandated appointment committee’ is established.

He made these remarks on Wednesday (June 25) after the second phase of the National Unity Commission’s meeting held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.

This BNP leader said that simply reducing the executive powers would not ensure good governance. 

“We must move beyond the mindset that one individual became authoritarian once, so the executive power should be curtailed for life,” he said.

In the meeting BNP expressed its desire to retain the inclusion of ‘Bismillah’ and ‘complete trust and faith in Allah’ as incorporated during the Fifth Amendment, he added. 

The party also wishes to add equality, human dignity, social justice, democracy, religious freedom, and harmony to the constitution as proposed by the Unity Commission.

BNP’s statements indicate a willingness to engage in constitutional reform while maintaining respect for religious and democratic values, emphasizing balanced governance and institutional independence.

MSK/