Politics
Academics urge constitutional checks on majority power
Academics told a parliamentary reform committee that Bangladesh’s constitution needs stronger checks and balances to prevent elected majorities from concentrating power. Proposals covered judicial authority, intelligence oversight, caretaker arrangements and equal rights.
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From 15 October 2026 — Daily Brief
Academics have urged parliament’s constitutional reform committee to build stronger checks and balances into Bangladesh’s basic law, arguing that electoral majorities should not permit unchecked concentration of power.
At a meeting in parliament, participants called for clearer definitions of the authority of state institutions and stronger accountability for bodies that exercise coercive power, including intelligence agencies.
Proposals included specifying the judiciary’s role in constitutional interpretation, considering a separate constitutional court and creating safeguards around any restored caretaker government system. Contributors also pressed for equal-rights language and terminology that does not marginalise women, ethnic communities or religious groups.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, who chairs the special committee, said opposition parties would be welcome to participate if they nominated representatives. The process would continue, however, even if they remained absent.
That absence is central to the political risk. Durable constitutional rules require more than technical drafting; they need sufficient consent to survive changes of government. The committee’s credibility will therefore depend on whether it publishes competing proposals, explains how recommendations are chosen and leaves meaningful space for opposition parties, civil society and the public to challenge the eventual text.