July Charter: Parties to decide after reviewing implementation method

The National Consensus Commission has announced that the July National Charter will be signed on 15 October. However, the commission has not yet finalised its recommendations on how the charter will be implemented. Although there is agreement on holding a referendum for implementation, there remain political differences over the basis, timing, and procedure of the referendum.

In this situation, it is still unclear whether all parties will ultimately sign the charter. Several political parties told reporters that they want to review the commission’s recommendations — particularly regarding the method of implementation, the timing of the referendum, and how differing proposals will be addressed — before making their final decision on signing the charter.

According to commission sources, despite differences over the timing and procedure of the referendum, the commission is giving priority to this method since there is political consensus on holding one. In doing so, the commission is relying on the opinions of a panel of experts comprising retired judges, professors, and lawyers. If necessary, the recommendations will be made more specific and detailed.

Sources also said the commission is considering leaving the decision on the timing of the referendum to the interim government. The commission will submit its recommendations on the implementation process to the government by Sunday. These recommendations will not be part of the charter itself.

In a press release issued Thursday evening, the National Consensus Commission stated that the July National Charter 2025 will be signed on 15 October at the South Plaza of the National Parliament. The signing ceremony will be led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government and Chair of the National Consensus Commission. Representatives from various political parties and alliances will attend the event. The decision was finalised during a meeting held at the commission’s office inside the parliament complex.

The meeting was attended by the commission’s vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz, members Badiul Alam Majumdar, retired Justice Md Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, and Md Ayub Mia. Also present was Monir Haidar, special assistant to the chief adviser involved in the consensus-making process.

In the first week of October last year, the interim government formed six reform commissions: on the constitution, electoral system, judiciary, anti-corruption commission, police, and public administration. These commissions submitted their full proposals to the government in February.

To build consensus on reforms across various sectors of the state, the National Consensus Commission began its work on 15 February. Through two rounds of discussions with political parties, it reached agreement and decisions on 84 reform proposals, though some parties expressed differing views on certain points. These 84 proposals form the basis of the July National Charter. Thirty-three parties participated in the first round of talks and 30 in the second.

However, despite five days of discussions between the commission and political parties on how to implement constitution-related reform proposals, no consensus was reached. During the final meeting on Wednesday night, faced with the parties’ firm positions, the commission stated that it would prepare recommendations for the government combining the opinions of experts and political parties on implementation methods.

From the beginning, the BNP has maintained that no constitutional order can be issued based on the July Charter and that the charter cannot be placed above the constitution. The party argues that instead of an order, a proclamation could be issued on the July Charter, based on which a new ordinance could be enacted to hold a referendum.

The charter’s declaration of commitment would include provisions that the differing opinions of parties be reflected in their election manifestos, and if elected, they could implement the charter according to those views. The BNP reiterated this position in Wednesday’s discussions.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told Prothom Alo yesterday that almost everyone agreed with the BNP’s position. He said they have logically proposed giving the July Charter as much legal foundation as possible, obtaining the people’s consent through a referendum, and later incorporating it into the constitution. “The people surely understand BNP’s sincerity and goodwill toward reforms,” he added.

When asked whether the BNP would accept the commission’s recommendations on implementation, Salahuddin Ahmed said, “We can comment on that only after seeing what the National Consensus Commission recommends.”

The Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizen Party (NCP) want a “July Implementation Order” — even if not a constitutional order — to be issued as the basis for the referendum, so that the reforms are sustainable. They also want the next National Parliament to be empowered with dual roles, and they insist that differing proposals be included both in the charter and the referendum.

When asked whether Jamaat-e-Islami would accept the commission’s recommendations and sign the charter, Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad told Prothom Alo, “We have to see first what the commission recommends; only then can we comment.”

He added, “Those who want to obstruct the reform process are the ones demanding that the referendum be held on the same day as the national election. If the next election is not based on reforms, it will be no different from the previous ones.” He questioned, “After working on reforms for a whole year, if the government imposes something unilaterally, will the people accept it?”

The NCP also wants to see the commission’s recommendations before deciding. NCP Joint Convenor Javed Rasin told Prothom Alo that they would determine their next position after reviewing what the commission recommends regarding the implementation method, the timing of the referendum, and how the “notes of dissent” (differing opinions) are addressed.

Experts have suggested a multi-stage process for implementing the constitution-related proposals in the charter. According to relevant sources, the commission is emphasising the experts’ opinions in preparing its recommendations. The commission also believes that a special order should be issued as the basis for holding a referendum.

In addition, the next parliament should be empowered to perform dual functions — as both a Constitution Reform Council and a National Parliament — and a clear timeline should be set for completing constitutional reforms.

Sources within the National Consensus Commission said they are currently considering framing the referendum question as, do you support the implementation of the July National Charter? They are also considering two separate questions — one on whether the public supports the implementation of proposals that already have consensus, and another on whether they support the implementation of proposals on which differences remain.

Professor Ali Riaz, vice-chair of the National Consensus Commission, told Prothom Alo, the signing ceremony of the July National Charter will be held on 15 October. Before that, the commission will submit its recommendations to the government on how to implement the charter. The recommendations will include detailed descriptions of the implementation process.