The National Consensus Commission (NCC), tasked with spearheading state reforms, will soon launch a nationwide survey and a website to ensure the voices of citizens from all walks of life are heard in the reform process.

"We will soon open an online platform to collect opinions from citizens beyond political parties. Alongside this, we will conduct a broader survey to gather views from all segments of society," said Prof Ali Riaz, vice-chairman of the commission, during a meeting with the AB Party at the National Parliament yesterday.

Political parties represent the people. But there are many outside these parties whose voices matter too. We want to bring them into the process

— Prof Ali Riaz

He said building a national consensus must go beyond political actors.

"Political parties represent the people. But there are many outside these parties whose voices matter too. We want to bring them into the process," he said.

Prof Riaz said the commission aims to complete its mandate by mid-July.

So far, 29 political parties have submitted their opinions on reform recommendations, with dialogues commencing before Independence Day.

Talks were held with four parties prior to Eid-ul-Fitr.

"We hope to complete the first round of discussions by the first week of May. The second phase is expected to begin in the second week of May," he said.

"We expect to identify areas of agreement, while in some areas there might still be differences or need for clarification. But we will continue discussions within that timeframe," he said.

The commission's work builds on proposals drawn from five earlier reform bodies: the Constitution Reform Commission, Public Administration Reform Commission, Electoral System Reform Commission, Judiciary Reform Commission, and the Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commission.

To gather feedback, the NCC had earlier sent a spreadsheet of 166 proposals to 38 political parties, requesting responses by March 13. Among those, the AB Party submitted detailed feedback, agreeing with 108 proposals, partially agreeing with 26, and disagreeing with 32.

AB Party Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju said, "We appreciate the proposals of the Consensus Commission. Even on issues where there are partial agreements or disagreements, today's discussion helped clarify positions."

Responding to criticism that the NCC's questionnaire resembled a multiple-choice format, Manju said, "We didn't find it to be MCQ-style. There was enough space to express all kinds of opinions. Therefore, it shouldn't be underestimated."

He emphasised the importance of both formal and informal dialogue. "We are not rigid in holding onto our views -- we welcome any discussion based on logic and reasoning," he said.

Commission members Safar Raj Hossain, Justice Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, and Chief Advisor's Special Assistant Monir Haider were also present at the meeting.

The AB Party delegation was led by Manju and included 13 members.