Sunday, 5th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 1st August 2025, 11:49 AM
Four left-leaning political parties in Bangladesh have boycotted the final session of the National Consensus Commission, objecting to the omission of the four fundamental principles enshrined in the Constitution.
The boycotting parties are:
The decision was taken on Thursday, 31st July, at around 9:10 PM, during the concluding phase of the 23rd and final meeting of the commission’s second stage, held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
Issue of Contention
The dispute arose following a proposal by the Commission regarding the guiding principles for state governance. The proposed text stated:
“The principles of equality, human dignity, social justice, and religious freedom and harmony shall be incorporated as part of the principles of state governance.”
However, the leftist parties strongly objected to the fact that the existing four constitutional fundamentals were omitted from this draft. These core principles are:
Reactions from Party Leaders
| Party | Leader | Statement |
| Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) | Ruhin Hossain Prince, General Secretary | “The rushed attempt to pass such a crucial proposal at the last moment raises questions about the commission’s intention. Any proposal excluding the Constitution’s four fundamental principles is unacceptable.” |
| “Whether we sign the consensus charter or not will be decided by the party collectively, based on public opinion.” | ||
| BASAD (Marxist) | Masud Rana | “Excluding the constitutional principles means denying the history of the Liberation War. Our proposal was to include new ideas without omitting the core principles.” |
| BASAD | Bazlur Rashid Firoz, General Secretary | “Those who were defeated in 1971 are now trying to deviate from the spirit of the Liberation War and introduce new doctrines.” |
| Bangladesh JASAD | Moshtaq Hossain, Permanent Committee Member | “Even if we record a ‘note of dissent’, we cannot absolve ourselves of responsibility to the future generations in this situation.” |
Political Implications
Analysts suggest that this boycott may cast uncertainty over the future of the consensus process. So far, the leftist parties have not reached a final decision regarding whether to sign the proposed Consensus Charter.
However, they have made it clear that any such decision will be taken through party forums and by gauging public opinion.
Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
| Event | Final session of National Consensus Commission |
| Date & Time | Thursday, 31 July, 9:10 PM |
| Venue | Foreign Service Academy, Dhaka |
| Boycotting Parties | CPB, JASAD, BASAD, BASAD (Marxist) |
| Reason for Boycott | Omission of constitutional fundamentals (Nationalism, Socialism, Democracy, Secularism) |
| Proposed Principles | Equality, Human Dignity, Social Justice, Religious Freedom & Harmony |
| Next Steps | Decision on signing the charter pending, to be based on internal discussion and public feedback |
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