Dhaka: Observing that the current monolithic executive authority of the Prime Minister has created dictatorship in the parliamentary form of government system, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday promised to bring a constitutional reform to balance the power if her party gets back to power.

"The existing constitutional order vests all the executive powers of the republic unilaterally in the hands of the Prime Minister. The system is completely inconsistent with the recognised form of parliamentary system," she said while outlining her party's 'Vision 2030'.

Khaleda Zia further said, "The recent experience made the country's people to deeply realise that the monolithic executive authority of the Prime Minister has created dictatorship with a parliamentary facade. In order to bring an end to this situation, the executive power of the republic shall be balanced through appropriate constitutional amendment."

As part of the reforms of the constitutional arrangement, she said, it will be examined whether an upper house of the Jatiya Sangsad can be established keeping the existing unitary character and structure of the constitution intact.

The BNP chairperson also said her party wants to turn Bangladesh into a modern and democratic high middle-income country by 2030 with per capita income of US$ 5000.

To achieve the goal, Khaleda Zia said, BNP will adopt creative and intelligent initiatives to boost the annual growth rate to a double-digit figure.

Khaleda Zia unveiled her party's 256-point Vision 2030 at a press conference at a city hotel.

The BNP chief said her party wants to build a happy, prosperous, modern and self-respecting nation.

She said her party is committed to building a liberal democratic society wherein freedom of expression and rights of citizens upholding national interest shall be protected.

In her 48-page speech the BNP chief focused on 37 issues, including democracy, nation building, good governance, defence, a foreign policy, moral re-armament, service delivery, social safety network, Liberation War and freedom fighters, terrorism, extremism, and militancy, economy, research and development, demographic dividend, education and human resource, ICT, sport, culture, overseas employment and expatriate welfare, media and freedom of expression, local government, peasants and agriculture, workers' welfare, urbanisation and housing, safe food and medicine, health services, youth, women and children, climate change, water resources, blue economy and environmental protection, power and energy, industry, communication, tourism, conservation of resources, social pathological problem, earthquake disaster, CHT and backward areas and communal harmony, and narrated how her party will devolved the nation by 2030.

Khaleda Zia said her party does not like people's power to confine to election-day alone. "BNP wants to be true to the hopes and aspirations of the people reflected through every day public opinion."

Mentioning that some undemocratic articles/sections were incorporated into the constitution like the system of holding Jatiya Sangsad election keeping the erstwhile parliament alive and parliament's power to impeach apex court judges, the BNP chief said BNP will make a review of these controversial and undemocratic articles/sections and bring in necessary reforms to the constitution.

Khaleda Zia also promised that BNP will restore the provision of referendum in the constitution to reinstate the democratic rights of the people.

Khaleda Zia said BNP wants to nurture a political culture involving all political shades of opinion and paths that will transform Bangladesh into a "Rain-bow Nation. "BNP wants to combine together 3Gs-Good Policy, Good governance and good administration."

To ensure democracy, good governance and economic transparency, she said BNP will cleanse all constitutional and statutory bodies of the filth of vested interest adopting all legal and procedural measures to enhance efficiency and restore confidence of the bodies

Mentioning that her party will not compromise with corruption, Khaleda Zia said the office and position of the Ombudsman will be created as per the constitution in order to ensure administrative accountability and transparency.

She pledged that her party will annul all sorts of black laws. "BNP shall bring an end to all forms of inhuman physical and mental torture and extrajudicial killings to keep people free from all forms of cruel treatment."

The BNP chief also promised that her party will repeal the Special Powers Act-1974.

She also said the lower courts will be freed from the control of the executives and a separate secretariat under the Supreme Court will control them. "A high level judicial commission shall be formed to reform the existing justice system. All sorts of undesirable political interference in the law enforcement agencies will be stopped."

Claiming that her party always welcomes objective criticism, the BNP chairperson said the controversial section 57 of the IT ACT will be repealed.

Khaleda Zia said the elected representatives of local government shall not be suspended/dismissed/removed by executive order, unless convicted by the court.

She said BNP will take stern measures against terrorism, extremism and militancy.

She also said VOIP will be opened up to ease and reduce communication cost with the rest of the world.

Khaleda Zia said BNP will take initiatives to generate optimal amount of electricity to meet the requirement of desired double-digit growth rate (considering approximate demand for thirty five thousand megawatt of power by 2030).