The Chief of the Constitutional Reform Commission, Professor Ali Riaz, announced that a nationwide public opinion survey on constitutional reform is set to commence soon.

He made this statement during a courtesy meeting with a delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by Dr. Geoffrey Macdonald, Senior Advisor for the Asia-Pacific region, at the Commission Chief’s office on Monday (November 25).

The IRI delegation also included Joshua Rosenbaum, Acting Resident Program Director for Bangladesh, and Stephen Chima, Regional Director for South Asia.

Briefing the delegation about ongoing and future initiatives related to constitutional reform, Professor Ali Riaz stated that the commission has already consulted with 28 organizations, 23 representatives from civil society, five constitutional experts, and 10 young intellectuals.

He added that public feedback is also being collected through the commission’s website, with a total of 47,097 responses received as of Monday afternoon. Furthermore, a nationwide public opinion survey will soon be conducted through the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Dr. Geoffrey Macdonald, head of the IRI delegation, expressed the organization’s commitment to promoting democratic practices worldwide. He emphasized IRI’s eagerness to collaborate with the emerging Bangladesh.

The delegation also expressed interest in the commission’s reform efforts, particularly in gathering stakeholder opinions on constitutional matters.