Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Tuesday that the government would accept suggestions from opposition parties on constitutional amendments and would also accept written proposals submitted outside committee meetings.

“We will accept suggestions from all opposition parties,” the home minister told reporters following the first meeting of the special committee on constitutional amendment at the national parliament. “The opposition was supposed to give us five names for the special committee. We haven’t received those names. I hope that at a later stage they will perhaps realise and provide names.”

The minister added: “If they come to the meeting and give them, that’s good. If they give them in writing outside of a meeting, we will accept that too. We want to produce a report through discussion with everyone.”

Ahmed declined to characterise the committee’s task as a challenge. “There is not a challenge before the committee; there is expectation,” he said. “We want to talk to everyone. I wouldn’t call it a challenge. We will listen to everyone.”

“Such a large mass uprising has taken place, and the nation’s expectations are very high. The aspirations of the martyrs were there. According to those expectations and aspirations, this Bangladesh must be rebuilt,” the minister said. “To establish a strong democratic system and make it sustainable, it is essential to incorporate the necessary provisions into the constitution.”

The 12-member special committee on constitutional amendment was formed on July 13 with Salahuddin Ahmed as its chairman. Opposition parties objected to its formation and have declined to join.