Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has expressed the hope that the reform reports he received would empower people and restore their rights, urging broad acceptance and implementation of the recommendations for a better Bangladesh.
“I expect everyone to sincerely accept and implement these (recommendations from the reports),” he said on Wednesday.
Dr Yunus was speaking at a function at the State Guest House Jamuna after submission of reports by the Public Administration Reform Commission led by Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury and the Judiciary Reform Commission led by Justice Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman.
Members of the commissions were present.
“We have endured harassment, humiliation and insults. We have also experienced forgetting our own demands and rights,” the Chief Adviser said.
Dr Yunus emphasised that the reform commission reports would be shared with citizens, political parties, and civil society members to build national consensus.
“These reports are significant documents in Bangladesh’s history,” he said, expressing gratitude to the commission chairs and members for their efforts.
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He noted that the recommendations would not only benefit Bangladesh but also serve as valuable contributions to global governance. “I consider these reports an asset to the world. They will hold a place in history,” he remarked.
"We have many bitter experiences of harassment, humiliation and insult. We have experience of forgetting about our demands and rights," said the Chief Adviser.
Dr Yunus said the reports of the reform commissions would be shared with citizens, political parties and civil society members so that they all can reach a consensus to this end.
The reports of the reform commissions are the remarkable documents in the history of Bangladesh, he said, expressing gratitude to the heads of the commissions and all members for the efforts.
The chief adviser observed that the reports of the commission will contribute to the whole world, not only to Bangladesh.
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Meanwhile, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, at a separate briefing on Wednesday said, the Judiciary Reform Commission proposed making the country's judiciary fully independent.
"Although previous governments had stated that the judiciary was independent, it was not independent at all. That’s why the Judiciary Reform Commission proposes making the judiciary fully independent," he said at the briefing in front of the State Guest House Jamuna.
Alam said the Judiciary Reform Commission's report is a big 52-page one and in some cases, constitutional amendments would be needed to fully implement the recommendations of the report.
He said the commission also proposed introducing permanent attorney service by hiring manpower following procedures like BCS.
It also recommended establishing a separate investigation agency, the press secretary said, adding that generally police investigate crimes taking place in the country and often the political governments use police during probes.
The investigation of police is sometimes faulty and those can be manipulated in many cases, so the commission suggests establishment of a separate investigation agency, he added.
Alam said the commission also proposed establishment of permanent benches of the Supreme Court at divisional level, while magistrate court at upazila level and expanding legal services at village level.
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Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretaries Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Apurba Jahangir and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad were present at the press briefing.
On Tuesday, Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul on Tuesday said the national consensus-building commission, led by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, will hold its first dialogue with all political parties and forces in favour of the July Uprising over the reform initiatives in mid-February.
“We hope that it will be held in mid-February,” he told reporters at a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the evening.
The Chief Adviser will chair the meeting, to be held at the Foreign Service Academy, where heads of the six reform commissions will remain present, Asif said.
The Law Adviser said they expect full-fledged reports of the six commissions will be submitted on February 8 and the recommendations of the reports will instantly be sent to the political parties and other stakeholders who were in favour of the July uprising.
The commissions are the Electoral System Reform Commission headed by Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, the Police Administration Reform Commission headed by Sarfaraz Hossain, the Judiciary Reform Commission headed by Justice Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman, Anti-Corruption Reform Commission headed by TIB’s Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Public Administration Reform Commission headed by Abdul Mueed Chowdhury and Constitution Reform Commission headed by Distinguished Prof at Illinois State University Dr Ali Riaz.
The Chief Adviser, also head of the National Consensus-building Commission, had a meeting on Tuesday to know about the progress of the reform work.
Dr Asif said the political parties will hold discussions and negotiations with all the forces in favor of the mass uprising.
He said the activities of the six commissions are ending on February 8 with the submission of their reports.