BNP today announced a 27-point outline of ‘Structural Reform of the State’ — proposing radical changes to the state system including balancing the executive powers of the president, prime minister and the Cabinet, and introduction of the upper house of legislature.
The outline of the ‘Structural Reform of the State’ has been prepared in line with the late president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's 19 points and BNP's 'Vision-2030' declared by its chairperson Khaleda Zia.
BNP Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain read out the outline while speaking at a press briefing at a Dhaka hotel.
The BNP standing committee member said, “The current government has destroyed the state structure, and it needs to be repaired and rebuilt. A ‘public welfare government of national consensus’ with the participation of all political parties, who are taking part in the movement to oust this fascist government, will be established — aiming to give back the power to the people of the country.”
“This 'Government of National Consensus' will undertake state-transformative reforms,” he said.
The 27-point outline includes introduction of election-time neutral government system, bringing balance in the executive powers of the president, prime minister and the Cabinet, limiting the number of times individuals can serve as president and prime minister (no more than two consecutive terms), introduction of upper house of the legislature, formation of a constitution reformation commission, re-introduction of referendum system in the constitution, amendment of the Article 70 of the constitution to allow members of Parliament to express their opinions, amendment of the act on appointment of chief election commissioner and other election commissioners with a view to forming Election Commission with independent and impartial persons, formation of judicial commission, reintroduction of Supreme Judicial Council system, media commission and economic reformation commission.
Apart from these, establishment of an inclusive, non-discriminatory 'Rainbow Nation' based on nationalism and formation of the National Reconciliation Commission are among the proposed outline.
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To ensure healthcare for all, expansion of universal health service based on the model of UK's NHS, provision of unemployment benefits to the educated unemployed for one year or until self-employment, increasing the age limit for entry into government jobs according to international standards have been mentioned in the outline.
BNP Standing Committee members Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moin Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud; BNP vice chairman Abdullah Al Noman, Barrister Shahjahan Omar, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Barkat Ullah Bulu, Shamsuzzaman Dudu were, among others, present there.