Commission Proposes Granting President Direct Power to Appoint Military and Intelligence Chiefs

The National Consensus Commission has proposed that the President of Bangladesh be granted direct authority to appoint the heads of the three armed forces and the two principal intelligence agencies — a shift that would significantly enhance the executive powers of the presidency in national security and institutional governance.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment

The recommendation involves amending Article 48(3) of the Fourth Part, Chapter One of the Constitution. Currently, under Article 48(3), the President is required to act on the advice of the Prime Minister in all matters, except in appointing the Prime Minister and Chief Justice.

However, the commission’s draft amendment seeks to broaden the President’s scope of autonomous authority, enabling them to make several key appointments independently, without requiring the Prime Minister’s recommendation.

Areas Proposed for Direct Presidential Execution

According to the proposed amendment, the President would act independently in the following appointments:

Rationale and Political Implication

The commission believes that if political consensus is reached among the parties, then it would be feasible to initiate constitutional and legal amendments accordingly.

“If enacted, this proposal would strengthen the President’s role in key state functions, especially in strategic and security-related appointments,” the commission noted.

Such a shift could alter the balance of executive power, reducing the current Prime Minister-centric model and establishing a more independent presidential authority in state affairs.

The proposal is expected to spark intense debate across political and legal circles, as it touches on the core principles of democratic power distribution and institutional checks and balances in Bangladesh’s governance framework.