CPB, 3 others won't sign July Charter over omission of independence declaration

Four left-leaning political parties have announced that they will not sign the July National Charter unless they receive the revised draft before the signing ceremony.

The parties are the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (BASAD), BASAD (Marxist), and Bangladesh JASAD.

The announcement was made at a press conference held on Thursday afternoon at the CPB office in Purana Paltan, Dhaka. The parties also demanded that the charter be amended before the signing ceremony takes place.

BASAD General Secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz delivered a written statement during the press conference.

He said,“At the inaugural event of the Consensus Commission, the Honorable Chief Adviser stated that only those issues unanimously agreed upon by all parties would be considered as consensus. We agreed with the Chief Adviser on this principle and participated in all meetings of the Consensus Commission, sharing our views. However, the final version of the July Charter that was sent to us on 14 October includes not only the unanimously agreed points but also proposals we had formally disagreed with through notes of dissent. Furthermore, the reasons for our dissent have not been properly documented.”

At the press conference, the parties explained why they would not sign the July Charter. They stated that the first section of the charter — which outlines the historical background of the Liberation War, the independence of Bangladesh, and the country's political movements — has not been accurately presented. Despite submitting repeated revisions, their proposed corrections were not incorporated.

The parties further said that a recommendation has been made to remove the "Declaration of Independence" from the Sixth Schedule and the "Proclamation of Independence" from the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution under Article 150(2), which relates to transitional provisions. They emphasised that these documents form the very foundation of Bangladesh’s independence and Liberation War — omitting them would essentially undermine the country’s existence.

They also noted that although the July Charter is being proposed for inclusion in the constitutional schedules, a critical reference to Article 106 — which, in the previously shared draft, mentioned forming an interim government based on a Supreme Court reference following a post-uprising context — has been removed from the final version.

Bazlur Rashid Firoz stated that, due to the lack of resolution on these critical issues, it is not possible for them to sign the July Charter.

He said, “We cannot sign a charter while registering our dissent if it requires a commitment to the four existing fundamental principles of the Constitution — democracy, socialism, secularism, and nationalism — and agreement to amendments in the schedules under Article 150(2) of the Constitution’s transitional provisions, without allowing room for legal challenge.”

He also pointed out that Clause 3 of the July Charter's declaration — which states that 'no one may seek redress in court regarding the July Charter' — is, in the parties’ view, a direct violation of citizens’ fundamental and democratic rights.

At the press conference, the parties reiterated that only those points which all political parties have agreed upon in the long-standing discussions of the National Consensus Commission should be included for collective endorsement. Issues with dissenting opinions, they argued, may be attached as an annex to the charter.

Bazlur Rashid Firoz further questioned how the commitments of the July Charter can be implemented if dissenting opinions remain.

He said, “Clause 2 of the declaration states that the July Charter will be included in the Constitution's schedules or an appropriate section. We support including a unanimously agreed-upon charter in the Constitution. But we fail to understand how a document containing notes of dissent can be constitutionally embedded.”

Other speakers at the press conference included Abdullah Kafi Ratan, General Secretary of the CPB; Masud Rana, Coordinator of BASAD (Marxist); and Mushtaq Hossain, a Standing Committee member of Bangladesh JASAD. Also present were CPB President Kazi Sajjad Zahir Chandan and former General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, among others.