With growing concerns over unchecked authority in Bangladesh’s parliamentary system, a national debate has emerged: Is a bicameral legislature the solution to ensuring accountability of the majority party and its leader?
As part of the ongoing study titled “Ensuring Accountability of the Majority Party in the Parliamentary System of Bangladesh: Unicameral vs Proposed Bicameral Parliament”, an Expert Group Meeting on Parliamentary Reform and Accountability was held at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) office.
The meeting brought together academics, political analysts, and civil society representatives to discuss the key issues surrounding the current parliamentary structure and the proposed shift to a bicameral system.
The session was attended by Ms Marga Peeters, Programme Manager in Public Financial Management, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh; Dr Robert Evans, OBE, MEP, Labour Cllr & Visiting Professor, Royal Holloway, University of London ; Mr Zonayed Saki, Chief Co-ordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan; Dr Nizam Ahmed, Professor of University of Chittagong; Dr KM Mohiuddin, Professor of Jahangirnagar University; Dr Sadik Hasan, Professor at Dhaka University; Dr Dilara Chowdhury, former Professor at Jahangirnagar University; Mr Nurul Haque Nur, President of Gono Odhikar Parishad and Mr Saleh Uddin Ahmed, Political Analyst.
Participants shared diverse perspectives on the limitations of the existing unicameral system, the potential role of an upper house, and the broader implications for democratic accountability in Bangladesh.
The discussion was part of a wider initiative to build consensus on structural reforms through inclusive dialogue and evidence-based analysis.
