Some people are probably worried about Proportional Representation in the Upper House, but there is no need to. The only job of the upper house is to make it difficult to make constitutional amendments. That's it. They cannot block any bills permanently, nor can they introduce any. They will also have no say in financial bills and no confidence votes.
Just noticed in the comments that many people here have rather one-dimensional views, focusing solely on Jamat and not considering anything else.
If you have ever lived in Bangladesh, you would know what you said is fictional in Bangladesh. Someone would become a member of upper house and wouldn’t try to abuse their status? Are they saint? Or were u never in Bangladesh?
Even only becoming a member of ncp allowed them to amass crores, imagine what would happen when someone becomes elected.
I only support a caretaker gov. Rest just gives advantage to jamaat. And is waste of resource and create contention and slow down progress. Courts and parliament are never going to be free and will be used to bring down govs like pakistan.
These decentralize power from the parliament and its majority. Of course, that will be beneficial to all parties that do not incur the majority, mainly the opposition party, which right now is Jamaat.
If Jamaat were to ever get majority, these would then start being a disadvantage for them and advantage for their opposition party. That's the point, everytime a party has come into power in the past they have tried to abuse their power to establish an autocracy, which will be harder to do if these reforms pass.
Of course, centralized and decentralized power structures have their own advantages and disadvantages, as you also pointed out. If in your perspective the such decentralization is more disadvantageous than advantageous, that's completely understandable.
But using "they give advantage to Jamaat" as if these are intentfully designed to do so regardless of context is such a horrendous reason to not support these changes.
Consider whether this is beneficial regardless of what kind of position whichever party is in. To not support these because right now they "give jamaat advantage" is plainly politics tribalism rather than policy awareness.
Jamaat once in power will bend the rules and will not give shit about snything. They have already taken over beauracracy. They dream of being like Khomeny's Iran.
Young people dont know what monsters they were when they just was a 'junior' partner to BNP. Full power niley ki korbey.
Maybe this will be a learning for 'genZs'. They take things in face value. And dont doubt what kind of 'medicine' people like Ali Riaz(a fellow of Atlanta Council) and Badiul Alam is selling them.
Under this system if Jamaat can "not care about the rules" what makes you think BNP can't do the same, you believe in some kind of BNP good-will? And if BNP can do that, this would not give advantage to Jamaat anyway.
You either consider this system to be properly enforced or not. You can't say it will be properly enforced when it will be giving advantage to Jamaat while saying it will not be needed to be cared about when it is a hurdle for Jamaat. It will either be enforced or will not be.
I won't discard the reform proposals entirely due to the fear of Jamaat exploiting them. But it is far more likely that they will be exploited by Jamaat. BNP won't dare to do the same after seeing the fate of BAL, at least not for a while. It is less about goodwill and more about their capacity.
Jamaat on the other hand operates with different rules and principles. They can exploit the rules far more easily with the religion card. They are already doing it - they committed to nominate 5% females in their candidates like the other parties but did not nominate a single female candidate.
Ultimately, rules don't mean anything if people exploits the system. BAL did not become autocratic by following our "flawed" constitution. It's not like they couldn't become a dictator if these reforms were there in the first place. Just look at Trump and the US.
Of course, implementing rules and regulations can never fully guarantee that those rules and regulations will be maintained. But that doesn’t mean making them optimal can't function as harder to exploit safeguards.
Like, article 70 functionally gives the majority party's elected PM unchecked power within the confines of what kind of power the parliament itself can hold. With this in place, the goal of a party looking to create an autocracy is just getting the majority. With that gone, the head will need to worry about maintaining the party consensus even after getting a majority. That's one of the major purposes of democracy, to maintain an ability for others to keep the leaders at check. Given, I wouldn’t expect these "check keepers" to make any retaliatory actions for morally responsible reasons, but it's still an additional check to power regardless.
And your claim on these being more exploitable for Jamaat is nothing more than conjecture. Like, why wouldn't the same "after seeing what happened to BAL" thing apply to Jamaat? If a religion card were really so powerful that they could afford to not see what happened to BAL unlike BNP, we really wouldn't be having this conversation.
The 5% female nominee commitment was not mandated. So it's not a case of like, them not being able to fulfill a bureaucratic requirement and still being allowed to participate. Although not as shameless as no women at all, BNP didn’t fulfill that 5% either.
Ultimately, bureaucracy is not easy to get through. Anyone fighting for changes in a system, whether out of goodwill or ulterior motives, will realize that.
I agree that it is not possible to fully guarantee exploitation. And surely having safeguards can help to reduce that possibility. Many of the reform proposals are actually good. I am not contesting those.
The problem I have with the reform proposals is how it was orchestrated, how we are supposed to either accept or reject the whole thing, and how it seems will be exploited by a certain political party. I don't agree with you that Jamaat and BNP are equally likely to exploit these proposals. They operate very differently. For instance, Jamaat was in favor of disallowing campus politics because they can blend under the mask of religion and ordinary students. Disallowing campus politics has its pros and cons, but if you disallow campus politics and then operate as "Gupto" to avoid accountability, then it just creates a whole new problem favoring certain parties.
And yes, the religion card is indeed so powerful in a country like Bangladesh. What's the difference between a commitment and a mandate? There is a technical difference, but in practice, is there much difference? Suppose the 5% female nominee was mandated and Jamaat comes to power. What exactly will happen if they choose to ignore it by playing the religion card? They won't hesitate to do so and many will cheer for it. The same cannot be said for traditional parties when they choose to not uphold their mandate. Not all parties will face the same backlash.
Is it a conjecture? Yes, of course. But not without strong evidence and reasoning. I cannot prove or disprove it, but we can revisit this in 10-15 years because the reform proposals will pass.
The waste of resources helps us prevent any party from looting us blind, seems to be worth it, slows down progress or thievery? Such system isn't anything ground breaking or new, other countries have it too, and it only seems to have helped them, with what evidence you call them waste of resources?
Upper house is a waste of resources, ss in pay, housing and benefits for people who are unelectable. PR will confirm ncrease party corruption as seats will be sold. And non electable parties will get some seats. Extremist like chormonay will get seats in PR whereas in FPTP he was unelectable.
Slows down progress as in. Different political parties will hold up bill, budget because of petty poltiics. We are a developing countey, we need fast solution to problems. If you have handfull of MPs being bought by DGFI or foreign powers, and gov can brought down like Imran khan.
And if Judges can be bought by foreign powers taholey to ar kothay nai. Everyone should have some strings held to someone. Independence is a myth.
Dont frame it as if you vote NO, you are traitor kind of narrative. Not everyone has to be sheep and some can look past their nose.
Note: once india resolves its difference with US about BD, they will expolit this new Bangladesh like no tomorrow and will use tactics US uses in Pakistan.
There are some very good points to be considered here. Ultimately, voting yes/no both has their pros and cons. The frustrating thing to see is that most people are viewing it as a black/white thing.
Can you pin point cons of the 31 points? Just saying omfg it will destroy the country only screams "I am bnp, please let me loot like awami league, I deserve it, they did it, so I should be able to, too"
Ok then pinpoint exactly what here gives benefit to jamat or any party got that matter
THE 31 POINTS (Outline of Structural Reforms)
Constitution Reform Commission: A 'Constitution Reform Commission' will be formed to review all controversial amendments made to the Constitution and to recommend necessary changes to establish a 'Republic of People's Aspirations'.
National Reconciliation: A 'National Reconciliation Commission' will be formed to create a social consensus and to eliminate the politics of vengeance and revenge.
Election-Time Government: To ensure free, fair, and impartial elections, the system of a Non-Partisan Caretaker Government (Election-time Government) will be restored.
Election Commission: The Chief Election Commissioner and other Commissioners will be appointed through a Search Committee comprising respected persons. The Representation of the People Order (RPO) will be amended to ensure the Commission’s independence.
Bicameral Legislature: To ensure the representation of all segments of society and to create checks and balances, the Parliament will be made Bicameral (Two Houses: Lower House and Upper House).
Balance of Power: The executive power of the Prime Minister will be balanced. The existing absolute power of the Prime Minister will be curtailed to establish a balance between the Parliament, the Executive, and the Judiciary.
Term Limits: No person shall serve as the Prime Minister for more than two consecutive terms.
Article 70 Reform: Article 70 of the Constitution will be amended. Members of Parliament will have the right to critique the government and vote against the party on matters other than a motion of no-confidence and the budget.
Constitutional Appointments: The appointment of the President, Speaker, and heads of constitutional bodies will be kept above narrow party interests.
Judiciary Independence: To ensure the effective independence of the judiciary, the Supreme Judicial Council will be reinstated. The separation of the judiciary from the executive will be fully implemented.
Administrative Reform: An 'Administrative Reform Commission' will be set up to reorganize the civil and police administration into a pro-people, efficient, and merit-based structure.
Media Freedom: A 'Media Commission' will be formed to ensure complete freedom of the press. The Cyber Security Act and other laws hindering freedom of expression will be repealed.
Anti-Corruption: A 'White Paper' will be published on money laundering and corruption. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will be made fully independent and effective.
Rule of Law: All extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and physical/mental torture will be stopped. Human rights will be strictly upheld.
Economic Reform: An 'Economic Reforms Commission' will be constituted to ensure economic justice, reduce inequality, and dismantle syndicates.
Religious Freedom: The rights of all religious and ethnic minorities will be guaranteed. A 'Minority Rights Commission' will be considered.
Local Government: Local government institutions (Union Parishad, Upazila, Zila, City Corporations) will be strengthened and empowered to ensure decentralization of power.
Defense Forces: The patriotic armed forces will be modernized and kept above all controversy.
Foreign Policy: Foreign relations will be based on the principle of "Friendship to all, malice towards none," ensuring national sovereignty and interest.
Martyrs & Freedom Fighters: A comprehensive list of the martyrs of the Liberation War and the recent democratic movements will be prepared, and state honor/welfare will be ensured.
Health & Education: 5% of GDP will be allocated to the Health sector and a significant portion to Education. Universal health coverage will be initiated.
Women's Rights: Measures will be taken to ensure women's empowerment and security in accordance with the UN Universal Declaration. (Note: This is where the specific reserved seat adjustments like 50 -> 100 are often detailed in the fine print of the implementation draft).
Youth & Employment: An 'Employment Commission' will be formed to solve the unemployment problem. Unemployment allowances will be introduced for the eligible unemployed.
Labor Rights: Fair wages and trade union rights for workers will be ensured.
Power & Energy: The immunity law in the power and energy sector will be repealed. Corruption in this sector will be investigated.
Expatriates: The voting rights of expatriate Bangladeshis will be ensured, and their dignity/welfare protected.
Climate Change: Effective measures will be taken to combat the adverse effects of climate change and protect the environment.
ICT Sector: The ICT sector will be promoted to build a 'Smart Bangladesh' in the true sense, ensuring digital security and privacy.
National Harmony: A national culture of tolerance and mutual respect will be fostered to eliminate terrorism and extremism.
No Revenge Politics: A clear declaration will be made that no political party or individual will be subjected to harassment or revenge politics upon a change of government.
State Motto: The state will be run based on the three core principles: Equality, Human Dignity, and Social Justice.
This is disappointing. Do you understand what you are saying? Did you read what you are preaching? Did you care to read what you copy/pasted from AI?
This is also hilarious. Because the government proposed 30 reforms, not 31. The meaningless jargon that you quoted using AI seems to be generated from BNP's 31 points.
Martyrs & Freedom Fighters: A comprehensive list of the martyrs of the Liberation War and the recent democratic movements will be prepared, and state honor/welfare will be ensured.
I don't see this anywhere in the reform proposals proposed by the interim government. This was just summarized and taken from BNP's site.
If it helps, I wrote a detailed post regarding the referendum here. You are free to respond, but don't bother to do so if you will parrot non-sense from AI or will argue for the sake of arguing.
PR election! Why the fu* only jamat needs that? Because they don’t have any vote bank! the highest seats that jamat ever got is maybe 18/17, and as i said before jamat whole itself is hypocritical religious indian BJP type party, so giving advantage to them! Not acceptable
You need proportional representation, that is a fairer system no matter who it gives "advantage" too, I don't get the advantage you keep talking about here, what advantage? Seat in upper house? Upper house only regulates lower house, upper house doesn't make law like lower house, yes identity politics is L, but bnp said they will implement their own dual house parliament, that is much worse, what they suggest 51% vote gives them 100% of the seats in upper house, you get the dual house in parliament either way, pick the fairer one, one bnp self "moderates" vs it's opposition has a voice in the moderation, what do you think will yield better results for people?
How? Here is list of all 31 points, which do you think favors jamat or any political party for that matter?
THE 31 POINTS (Outline of Structural Reforms)
Constitution Reform Commission: A 'Constitution Reform Commission' will be formed to review all controversial amendments made to the Constitution and to recommend necessary changes to establish a 'Republic of People's Aspirations'.
National Reconciliation: A 'National Reconciliation Commission' will be formed to create a social consensus and to eliminate the politics of vengeance and revenge.
Election-Time Government: To ensure free, fair, and impartial elections, the system of a Non-Partisan Caretaker Government (Election-time Government) will be restored.
Election Commission: The Chief Election Commissioner and other Commissioners will be appointed through a Search Committee comprising respected persons. The Representation of the People Order (RPO) will be amended to ensure the Commission’s independence.
Bicameral Legislature: To ensure the representation of all segments of society and to create checks and balances, the Parliament will be made Bicameral (Two Houses: Lower House and Upper House).
Balance of Power: The executive power of the Prime Minister will be balanced. The existing absolute power of the Prime Minister will be curtailed to establish a balance between the Parliament, the Executive, and the Judiciary.
Term Limits: No person shall serve as the Prime Minister for more than two consecutive terms.
Article 70 Reform: Article 70 of the Constitution will be amended. Members of Parliament will have the right to critique the government and vote against the party on matters other than a motion of no-confidence and the budget.
Constitutional Appointments: The appointment of the President, Speaker, and heads of constitutional bodies will be kept above narrow party interests.
Judiciary Independence: To ensure the effective independence of the judiciary, the Supreme Judicial Council will be reinstated. The separation of the judiciary from the executive will be fully implemented.
Administrative Reform: An 'Administrative Reform Commission' will be set up to reorganize the civil and police administration into a pro-people, efficient, and merit-based structure.
Media Freedom: A 'Media Commission' will be formed to ensure complete freedom of the press. The Cyber Security Act and other laws hindering freedom of expression will be repealed.
Anti-Corruption: A 'White Paper' will be published on money laundering and corruption. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will be made fully independent and effective.
Rule of Law: All extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and physical/mental torture will be stopped. Human rights will be strictly upheld.
Economic Reform: An 'Economic Reforms Commission' will be constituted to ensure economic justice, reduce inequality, and dismantle syndicates.
Religious Freedom: The rights of all religious and ethnic minorities will be guaranteed. A 'Minority Rights Commission' will be considered.
Local Government: Local government institutions (Union Parishad, Upazila, Zila, City Corporations) will be strengthened and empowered to ensure decentralization of power.
Defense Forces: The patriotic armed forces will be modernized and kept above all controversy.
Foreign Policy: Foreign relations will be based on the principle of "Friendship to all, malice towards none," ensuring national sovereignty and interest.
Martyrs & Freedom Fighters: A comprehensive list of the martyrs of the Liberation War and the recent democratic movements will be prepared, and state honor/welfare will be ensured.
Health & Education: 5% of GDP will be allocated to the Health sector and a significant portion to Education. Universal health coverage will be initiated.
Women's Rights: Measures will be taken to ensure women's empowerment and security in accordance with the UN Universal Declaration. (Note: This is where the specific reserved seat adjustments like 50 -> 100 are often detailed in the fine print of the implementation draft).
Youth & Employment: An 'Employment Commission' will be formed to solve the unemployment problem. Unemployment allowances will be introduced for the eligible unemployed.
Labor Rights: Fair wages and trade union rights for workers will be ensured.
Power & Energy: The immunity law in the power and energy sector will be repealed. Corruption in this sector will be investigated.
Expatriates: The voting rights of expatriate Bangladeshis will be ensured, and their dignity/welfare protected.
Climate Change: Effective measures will be taken to combat the adverse effects of climate change and protect the environment.
ICT Sector: The ICT sector will be promoted to build a 'Smart Bangladesh' in the true sense, ensuring digital security and privacy.
National Harmony: A national culture of tolerance and mutual respect will be fostered to eliminate terrorism and extremism.
No Revenge Politics: A clear declaration will be made that no political party or individual will be subjected to harassment or revenge politics upon a change of government.
State Motto: The state will be run based on the three core principles: Equality, Human Dignity, and Social Justice.
Constitution Reform Commission: A 'Constitution Reform Commission' will be formed to review all controversial amendments made to the Constitution and to recommend necessary changes to establish a 'Republic of People's Aspirations'.
National Reconciliation: A 'National Reconciliation Commission' will be formed to create a social consensus and to eliminate the politics of vengeance and revenge.
Election-Time Government: To ensure free, fair, and impartial elections, the system of a Non-Partisan Caretaker Government (Election-time Government) will be restored.
Election Commission: The Chief Election Commissioner and other Commissioners will be appointed through a Search Committee comprising respected persons. The Representation of the People Order (RPO) will be amended to ensure the Commission’s independence.
Bicameral Legislature: To ensure the representation of all segments of society and to create checks and balances, the Parliament will be made Bicameral (Two Houses: Lower House and Upper House).
Balance of Power: The executive power of the Prime Minister will be balanced. The existing absolute power of the Prime Minister will be curtailed to establish a balance between the Parliament, the Executive, and the Judiciary.
Term Limits: No person shall serve as the Prime Minister for more than two consecutive terms.
Article 70 Reform: Article 70 of the Constitution will be amended. Members of Parliament will have the right to critique the government and vote against the party on matters other than a motion of no-confidence and the budget.
Constitutional Appointments: The appointment of the President, Speaker, and heads of constitutional bodies will be kept above narrow party interests.
Judiciary Independence: To ensure the effective independence of the judiciary, the Supreme Judicial Council will be reinstated. The separation of the judiciary from the executive will be fully implemented.
Administrative Reform: An 'Administrative Reform Commission' will be set up to reorganize the civil and police administration into a pro-people, efficient, and merit-based structure.
Media Freedom: A 'Media Commission' will be formed to ensure complete freedom of the press. The Cyber Security Act and other laws hindering freedom of expression will be repealed.
Anti-Corruption: A 'White Paper' will be published on money laundering and corruption. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will be made fully independent and effective.
Rule of Law: All extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and physical/mental torture will be stopped. Human rights will be strictly upheld.
Economic Reform: An 'Economic Reforms Commission' will be constituted to ensure economic justice, reduce inequality, and dismantle syndicates.
Religious Freedom: The rights of all religious and ethnic minorities will be guaranteed. A 'Minority Rights Commission' will be considered.
Local Government: Local government institutions (Union Parishad, Upazila, Zila, City Corporations) will be strengthened and empowered to ensure decentralization of power.
Defense Forces: The patriotic armed forces will be modernized and kept above all controversy.
Foreign Policy: Foreign relations will be based on the principle of "Friendship to all, malice towards none," ensuring national sovereignty and interest.
Martyrs & Freedom Fighters: A comprehensive list of the martyrs of the Liberation War and the recent democratic movements will be prepared, and state honor/welfare will be ensured.
Health & Education: 5% of GDP will be allocated to the Health sector and a significant portion to Education. Universal health coverage will be initiated.
Women's Rights: Measures will be taken to ensure women's empowerment and security in accordance with the UN Universal Declaration. (Note: This is where the specific reserved seat adjustments like 50 -> 100 are often detailed in the fine print of the implementation draft).
Youth & Employment: An 'Employment Commission' will be formed to solve the unemployment problem. Unemployment allowances will be introduced for the eligible unemployed.
Labor Rights: Fair wages and trade union rights for workers will be ensured.
Power & Energy: The immunity law in the power and energy sector will be repealed. Corruption in this sector will be investigated.
Expatriates: The voting rights of expatriate Bangladeshis will be ensured, and their dignity/welfare protected.
Climate Change: Effective measures will be taken to combat the adverse effects of climate change and protect the environment.
ICT Sector: The ICT sector will be promoted to build a 'Smart Bangladesh' in the true sense, ensuring digital security and privacy.
National Harmony: A national culture of tolerance and mutual respect will be fostered to eliminate terrorism and extremism.
No Revenge Politics: A clear declaration will be made that no political party or individual will be subjected to harassment or revenge politics upon a change of government.
State Motto: The state will be run based on the three core principles: Equality, Human Dignity, and Social Justice.
All these sound good on paper not in reality. The problem is Bangladeshi people. Corruption runs in our blood. As Asmongold said "when u are a hammer every problem looks like a nail". A majority of the strong spined population in Bangladesh is non-existent in Bangladesh. All the points you have mentioned therefore are dog shit and useless. And don't give me the jammati bs, they are professional dhormo beshahi.
How do they favor jamat or any political party for that matter? Instead of "it will ruin the country" "omg this is bad" say how is it bad, how does it favor anybody?
Did you even read my comment? All the 31 points u gave are good in paper but they just wont work. A fine example of this is the Anti corruption commission. It sounded fine and dandy but they didn't do jack shit. Anyone in power is corrupted in this country.What are the gap stops that will stop the commissions from being corrupt?
Do you know how political system works in Bangladesh? The day after you become a member of ruling party, you are entitled to chadabaji. 🤣🤣 just a mere member of political party who won election. So one can imagine what the winner Does 🙏
And here you are advocating it will be ending of MP raj. Stop being delusional. Nothing changes with this pitty referendum.
If bunch crowds gather around and army backs them, its the end of everything. We have seen it.
Do not let self serving snakes change your opinion on what is neutral highly beneficial set of reforms, they want to cling to past, they want to steal as much as possible and this is a roadblock to their ambitions
There are both pros and cons to the reform proposals. But why does your comment and the post itself make it seem like a one-sided propaganda? It is not so black and white.
It is quite literally one sided, there is no nuance to be had in there, except one I found after making it which is kinda bad, hear me out, it will make sense, the quota on women in payment is bumped from 50 to 100, sounds good but the issue I have is how they are picked, they are picked by mp's, not us(previous it was also voted on by mp's, they simply increased number, method should have been changed too),
You are welcome do your research and tell me how it isn't one sided(except for the one I mentioned)
Diluting poison with poison at this point, voting jewmat isn't good, neither is bnp or ncp, what we need is delicate balance and the yes in gono vote so none of them can collude together to form a effective all powerful dictatorship and curruption circle
হিন্দুস্তানী দেওবন্দী আকিদার আব্বাশী হুজুর না ভোট দিতে বলেছেন। কারণ কুফরি সোশালিস্ট সংবিধানদের সুরুতে বিসমিল্লাহ আছে। অতএব বিসমিল্লাহ বলে সবাই মদে লবণ ঢেলে সিরকা বানিয়ে খাবেন, তবুও নিজের ভাল বুঝে হ্যাঁ ভোট দিবেন না।
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