Bangladesh’s National Consensus Commission has announced a detailed 315-day timeline for forming a bicameral legislature, introducing an upper house based on proportional representation (PR). According to the commission’s recommendations, elected parliament members must amend the constitution within 270 days of the first session to incorporate the July Charter reforms. If they fail to do so, the proposed provisions will automatically become part of the constitution. Within 45 days thereafter, a 100-member upper house will be established under the PR system. At a press briefing held on October 28 at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, commission vice-chairman Professor Ali Riaz explained the three-phase implementation plan. The first phase involves immediate government actions through ordinances; the second covers changes achievable via administrative orders; and the third outlines constitutional reforms requiring parliamentary and public approval. The commission also advised the government to hold a referendum seeking citizens’ consent on 48 constitutional issues included in the July Charter 2025. Once approved, the 13th Parliament will function simultaneously as the National Assembly and the Constitution Reform Council for 270 days to execute necessary legal amendments.