BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed spoke to the journalists at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban today. Photo: BNP Media cell

DHAKA, Mar 23, 2025 (BSS) - BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has said his party doesn’t support or agree with the proposal of changing the name of the country as well as judging 2024 mass uprising and 1971 liberation war in a same row.

“1971 and 2024 have been brought into the same row in the recommendation to change the constitution's preambles. BNP does not consider this as appropriate, rather it believes that there is no need to change the name of the state,” he said.

Salahuddin said this while talking to journalists after submission of the party’s written opinion on constitutional and electoral reforms to the National Consensus Commission at its office at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban here today.

Regarding changing the name of the state, Salahuddin said that the people of Bangladesh have accepted the name of the state through long-standing practice. BNP does not agree on changing the name of the country, he added.

Salahuddin said BNP also differs with some proposals of the Electoral Reform Commission saying the independence of the Election Commission (EC) will be undermined if those recommendations are implemented.

BNP believes that the power of delimitation of parliamentary constituencies and the task for issuing the NID card should be in the hands of the EC.
 
BNP also disagrees with the proposal to give power to a parliamentary committee to hold the Election Commission accountable, he said.

Salahuddin said that BNP does not accept the proposals to reduce the power of elected representatives to amend the constitution. 

He said parliamentary elections should be held first, not referendums.

On March 6, the Consensus Commission sent letter and spreadsheets to 37 political parties seeking their opinions on 166 reform proposals.