Whether the Prime Minister Should Be the Party Leader Is an Internal Party Decision: Salahuddin

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmad stated that whether the Prime Minister can also serve as the leader of their political party should be an internal decision of the respective party. Imposing restrictions in this regard is related to an individual's rights.

Speaking to journalists after the 17th day of the second phase of discussions with the National Consensus Commission on Tuesday, Salahuddin Ahmad elaborated on the matter. He said, “There is near-unanimous agreement among political parties that the Prime Minister should also be the parliamentary leader. However, there is no rule that the party leader must necessarily be the Prime Minister. This issue is tied to an individual’s rights. In democratic practice, someone who becomes the Prime Minister may not remain the party leader after a few days. This decision should be made by the party or coalition.”

Highlighting BNP’s stance, the senior leader said, “It’s better to keep the matter open. Barring someone from becoming Prime Minister solely because they are the party leader would not be appropriate.” Regarding the appointment of the Chief Adviser to the caretaker government, Salahuddin Ahmad noted, “The Commission has proposed a ranked-choice voting system. However, as there is a risk of complications in decision-making, we have suggested following the 13th Amendment of the Constitution as a final measure to resolve any issues.” He further explained that if a search or appointment committee could reach a unanimous decision on the Chief Adviser’s appointment, it would be ideal. However, if the committee fails to reach a consensus, BNP has proposed adhering to the 13th Amendment. The day’s final agenda included discussions on appointments to constitutional and statutory institutions, but BNP did not participate in this session. Salahuddin Ahmad stated that BNP would share its views on this matter in subsequent discussions. Apart from BNP, 30 other political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizens Party (NCP), Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Islami Andolan, and Ganosamhati Andolan, participated in the discussions. The meeting was chaired by Professor Ali Riaz, Co-Chair of the National Consensus Commission. Commission members Safar Raj Hossain, Badiul Alam Majumdar, Justice Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, and Md. Aiyub Mia were present. The session was moderated by Monir Haider, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser (Consensus Commission).