DHAKA, Aug 31, 2026 (BSS) - Chief Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Md Nurul Islam Moni today said discussions are continuing in a cordial and inclusive environment between the government and the opposition to make parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh more effective and stronger.

“The way the government and the opposition conducted parliamentary proceedings in a cordial atmosphere during the last two sessions has also received appreciation from the international community,” he told a press conference at the Media Centre of the Jatiya Sangsad after a meeting with visiting Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretary General (SG) Anda Filip.

The Chief Whip said differences of opinion in parliament represent the beauty of democracy, and the best decisions for the country can be made through discussions based on such differences.

He said IPU representatives viewed positively the atmosphere of mutual respect, cooperation and coordination between the government and opposition in parliamentary practice in Bangladesh.

“They appreciated the efforts by the government and opposition to discuss issues together and seek solutions through parliamentary proceedings,” he said.

Referring to the cordial interaction between the Prime Minister and Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition on the day of the presidential election, including their embrace, the Chief Whip said such political cordiality and mutual respect would further strengthen parliamentary democracy.

Regarding the formation of parliamentary committees, Md. Nurul Islam said differences of opinion with the opposition remain on some issues, but the door for discussions remains open.

“If necessary, the session may be extended by one day to facilitate the formation of parliamentary committees. If the opposition puts forward its proposals, we will discuss the matter further,” he said.

On constitutional reform, the Chief Whip said the BNP favours incorporating reforms agreed upon in the July Charter into the existing Constitution through amendments rather than drafting a new Constitution.

He said provisions including limiting the Prime Minister to a maximum of two terms or 10 years in office, establishing an upper house of parliament and amending Article 70 need to be incorporated into the Constitution.

“The reforms proposed in the July Charter require constitutional amendments for their implementation. Any provision of the Constitution can only be repealed or amended through constitutional amendment,” he said.

On Article 70, the Chief Whip said there is an expectation that the provision would be amended except for a few fundamental issues, such as wartime situations and motions of no-confidence against the government.

“An initiative will be taken to amend Article 70 in line with the July Charter,” he said.

The Chief Whip said differences of opinion in parliament are normal and democracy requires respecting differing views while ensuring everyone gets an opportunity to present their own position.

“If a solution is possible through discussion, we will reach it. Even if there is no consensus, decisions will be taken through parliamentary procedures,” he said.

Emphasising the need to preserve the current democratic trend in the country, the Chief Whip said a democratic environment had emerged in Bangladesh after a long time.

“It is the responsibility of the present generation to leave an independent and democratic country for future generations,” he said, adding that political parties, the media and civil society all have responsibilities in this regard.

Describing his meeting with the IPU Secretary General, he said they discussed how Bangladesh could more effectively adopt best practices from parliaments around the world.

They also discussed women’s empowerment, the role of women representatives in parliament, and the responsibilities and roles of young parliamentarians, he said.

The meeting also covered Bangladesh’s recent political situation and progress in parliamentary democracy. They particularly discussed how differences of opinion among parliamentarians elected through an election held after a long interval should be viewed as a normal part of parliamentary democracy.

“Differences of opinion are the beauty of parliamentary democracy. We can reach the best decisions based on differences of opinion. This is the best practice of parliament,” he said.

The Chief Whip said the IPU reviews best practices among parliaments worldwide and provides support to make parliamentary proceedings more effective and efficient.

He said Bangladesh’s parliament is also interested in adopting such best practices to further strengthen parliamentary democracy.

At the press conference, opposition NCP lawmaker Akhter Hossen said the IPU representatives were informed about the need to properly present Bangladesh’s past incidents of repression, enforced disappearances, killings and human rights violations to the international community.
He said they informed the IPU representatives that efforts were being made by the Awami League to present misleading information about these issues to the international community.

He said BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, other political parties and student leaders had also faced repression in the past.

“Efforts will continue to present the true picture of these incidents to the international community,” he said.

The Chief Whip also spoke about two bills concerning prevention and redress of enforced disappearances and the National Human Rights Commission.

He said the bills had already been placed before parliament and lawmakers had been given sufficient time to review them.

“The bills will be discussed in detail in the next session of parliament,” he said.

The Chief Whip reiterated that differences between the government and opposition could be resolved through dialogue.

“In a democratic system, the country’s problems must be solved by taking everyone along, not by excluding anyone,” he said.

Government lawmakers Sayeed Al Noman and Mst. Tahsina Rushdi were present at the press conference.