76-seat senate proposed, members to be elected by public vote

The National Consensus Commission has put forward a new proposal to establish an upper house in the country’s parliament, recommending that it comprise 76 seats filled through direct public elections.

The proposal was presented on Monday (14 July) during the 13th day of the commission’s second round of dialogues, attended by top leaders from various political parties and alliances.

According to the commission, under this plan each of the nation’s 64 administrative districts and 12 city corporations would be designated as single-member constituencies for the upper house. Voters in each area would directly elect one representative, bringing the total number of seats to 76.

The commission also suggested that elections for the lower house (the National Parliament) and the proposed upper house would be held simultaneously.

Earlier, a separate Constitutional Reform Commission had recommended introducing a bicameral legislature with the upper chamber named the “Senate.” Its recommendations stated:

“The Constitutional Reform Commission recommends that Bangladesh adopt a bicameral legislature comprising a lower house (National Parliament) and an upper house (Senate). The upper house would play an important role in legislative scrutiny and establish critical oversight over the executive branch.”

The new proposal shows efforts to reshape Bangladesh’s parliamentary system by introducing a second chamber aimed at enhancing checks and balances in governance.