Desk Report: The interim government has officially released the full reports of six reform commissions established to restructure various state institutions. The reports were made available on the websites of the Cabinet Division and the Constitutional Reform Commission on Saturday afternoon. However, the unanimous recommendations proposed by the commissions have not yet been published online.
Legal advisor Asif Nazrul had earlier stated that the full reports would be released on February 8. Alongside the reports, a set of immediate, mid-term, and long-term recommendations was expected to outline potential reforms for the newly elected government.
According to Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, the implementation of these reforms will be guided by a “July Charter,” a consensus-based agreement involving political parties and civil society. The agreement will also influence the timeline for the next national election.
Background and Formation of the Reform Commissions
Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, the interim administration launched several democratic transition measures. As part of these efforts, six reform commissions were formed in October 2024 to address key state sectors:
- Constitutional Reform Commission
- Election System Reform Commission
- Police Reform Commission
- Judiciary Reform Commission
- Anti-Corruption Commission Reform
- Public Administration Reform Commission
The preliminary reports of the Constitutional, Election, Police, and Anti-Corruption Reform Commissions were submitted to the Chief Advisor on January 15, while the reports from the Judiciary and Public Administration Reform Commissions were handed over on February 5.
In November 2024, the second phase of reform efforts led to the formation of five additional commissions focusing on Media, Health, Labor, Women’s Affairs, and Local Government Reform. Their reports are yet to be released.
Leadership of the Reform Efforts
The National Consensus Commission, which oversees all reform initiatives, is led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. The Vice Chairman of the commission is Ali Riaz, a professor at Illinois State University and head of the Constitutional Reform Commission.
The heads of the six reform commissions also serve as members of the National Consensus Commission:
- Badiul Alam Majumdar (Secretary of Citizens for Good Governance – Election Reform Commission)
- Safar Raj Hossain (Former Home and Establishment Secretary – Police Reform Commission)
- Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman (Former Appellate Division Judge – Judiciary Reform Commission)
- Iftekharuzzaman (Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh – Anti-Corruption Reform Commission)
- Abdul Muid Chowdhury (Chairman of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, former caretaker government advisor – Public Administration Reform Commission)
Next Steps and the July Charter
Legal advisor Asif Nazrul confirmed that the six commissions have completed their work with the publication of these reports. The National Consensus Commission will now take over, distributing the reports and recommendations to political parties and pro-reform movements.
The commission’s first official meeting is expected to take place in mid-February, following discussions with political parties. According to Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, political parties and civil society will determine which reforms should be implemented immediately and which should be addressed later.
The July Charter, a binding agreement for state reforms, will be based on the consensus reached during these discussions. If consensus is achieved on 2,000 out of 5,000 proposed reforms, all political parties will sign the agreed-upon reforms as part of the July Charter.
The timeline for the next national election—whether it will be held in December 2025 or July 2026—will depend on the implementation of the July Charter, Alam added.