Consensus Commission decides upper house to have 100 seats

The National Consensus Commission has decided that the upper house will have 100 seats, with members selected through proportional representation based on the percentage of votes each party receives in the lower house.

The commission made the announcement today, on the 23rd day of talks with political parties, at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.

The commission informed the parties of its decision after being entrusted with the task, as dissenting views had prevented the parties from reaching a consensus despite prolonged discussions.

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Consensus talks: Deal reached on women’s JS seats

According to the commission's proposal, the upper house will not have the power to propose legislation. However, except for money bills passed in the lower house, all other bills must be presented in both houses. The upper house will not have the authority to permanently block any bill. If the upper house withholds a bill for more than one month, it will be deemed approved by the upper house.

The upper house will review and analyse bills brought for legislation by the lower house and must approve or reject them within a time frame defined by law.

If the upper house approves a bill, it will be sent to the president for assent as a bill passed by both houses.

If the upper house rejects a bill, it may return the bill to the lower house for reconsideration with recommendations for amendments. The lower house may accept or reject these proposed amendments, either fully or partially.

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Consensus talks: Parties still split over caretaker, PSC, ACC setup

The BNP and its like-minded allies -- including the Jatiyatabadi Samamana Jote, 12-Party Alliance, NDM, LDP and Aam Janatar Dal -- demand that seats in the upper house be allocated based on the number of seats each party secures in the lower house. They have also expressed reservations regarding the authority of the upper house.

On the other hand, the CPB-BASAD, and Jamiat e Ulamaye Islam, oppose the formation of an upper house altogether, stating that given the country's current economic and social circumstances, such a body is unnecessary.