Declaration of independence not being dropped, what’s in July Charter

There have been some changes to the July National Charter 2025, following objections from four left-leaning parties, including Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB). As a result, the Declaration of Independence will not be removed from the Constitution.

The National Consensus Commission finalised the July Charter based on discussions with political parties over the past eight months. On 14 October, the Commission sent copies of the draft charter to the political parties.

The draft had stated that Article 150(2) of the Constitution, which contains the transitional and temporary provisions, would be repealed, and the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Schedules associated with it would be excluded from the Constitution.

Nine parties had disagreed with this decision.

Subsequently, on Thursday, leaders of the CPB, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BASAD), BASAD (Marxist), and Bangladesh JASAD announced at a press conference that they would not attend signing ceremony on Friday.

Among the reasons they cited for not signing the charter was the recommendation to omit the Declaration of Independence.

At the press conference, they also said that the recommendation to remove the “Declaration of Independence” in the Sixth Schedule and the “Proclamation of Independence” in the Seventh Schedule—both included under the transitional provisions of Article 150(2)—undermined the very foundation of Bangladesh’s independence and Liberation War. They argued that removing these would negate Bangladesh’s very existence.

Following this, changes were made to that section of the July Charter. In the final version, it states that Article 150(2) of the Constitution will be amended, and the Fifth and Sixth Schedules associated with it will not be retained in the Constitution.

The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Schedules were incorporated into the Constitution in 2011 through the Fifteenth Amendment. The Fifth Schedule contains the historic 7 March 1971 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Sixth Schedule includes Bangabandhu’s Declaration of Independence, delivered in the early hours of 26 March 1971 (after midnight of 25 March). The Seventh Schedule contains the Proclamation of Independence issued by the Mujibnagar Government on 10 April 1971.

This means that if the Constitution is reformed according to the July Charter, the 7 March speech and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Declaration of Independence will no longer be included in the schedules of the Constitution. However, the Proclamation of Independence will remain in the Constitution’s schedules.

On Friday afternoon, the July National Charter 2025 was signed by Chief Adviser and President of the National Consensus Commission Professor Muhammad Yunus, other members of the Commission, and leaders of 24 political parties at a ceremony held at the South Plaza of the Parliament Complex on Friday afternoon.

Read the July National Charter (Bangla)—formulated through extensive discussions with the aim of reform—below.