Claiming that six months of maternity leave is insufficient, Gana Adhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque proposed extending maternity leave and allowing reduced office hours (half-time) for up to two years to support child-rearing. He also suggested that amendments to the constitution should not only require a two-thirds majority in Parliament but also a public referendum.
The party proposed lowering the minimum age for parliamentary candidates from 25 to 23 years and shortening the parliamentary term to four years.
These positions were announced on Monday (April 28) by Nurul Haque following a meeting with the National Consensus Commission at the LD Hall of the National Parliament building.
Previously, the Gana Adhikar Parishad had agreed with 127 out of 166 recommendations made by five reform commissions. After today’s discussions, they expressed agreement with eight new proposals, disagreed with seven proposals, and partially agreed with 23 proposals.
Nurul Haque emphasized that the constitution must reflect the aspirations of the general public. He noted that while not all amendments require a referendum, it is essential for certain key provisions, which should be clearly specified.
Regarding Article 70 of the Constitution, Gana Adhikar Parishad’s position is that Members of Parliament should be allowed to vote independently—even against their party—on all matters except constitutional amendments, money bills, and votes of confidence.
The party also proposed renaming the National Constitutional Council (NCC) to the National Constitutional Assembly, arguing that the current bilingual name lacks coherence. Additionally, they recommended including the Inspector General of Police alongside the Chief Justice, Chief Adviser, and heads of the three armed forces in the composition of the NCC.
Gana Adhikar Parishad agreed with the Consensus Commission’s proposal that student and labor organizations should not act as political affiliates. Nurul Haque added that professional organizations must also be free from political affiliations. They proposed introducing restrictions to prevent such affiliations and recommended implementing punitive measures if any organization is proven to engage in political activities.
Professor Ali Riaz, who led the discussions, urged all political parties to remain united on the issue of reforms. He stressed that reforms would not be achieved through discussions alone but require sustained collective effort.
Other participants from the Consensus Commission included Badiul Alam Majumdar, Safar Raj Hossain, Iftekharuzzaman, former Justice Emdadul Haque, and Monir Haider, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser (Consensus).
The 10-member delegation from Gana Adhikar Parishad included General Secretary Rashed Khan, Senior Vice-President and Spokesperson Faruk Hasan, Senior Member Khalid Hossain, Habibur Rahman Rizu, Sakib Hossain, Office Secretary Shakiluzzaman, Human Rights Affairs Assistant Secretary Fatema Disha, Youth Wing Member Mumtazul Islam, and Media Coordinator Abu Hanif.