July Charter: New crisis emerges, ‘emergency’ meeting in the evening

Uncertainty has arisen over the signing of the July National Charter due to the political disagreements regarding the method of implementing the charter, sources have said.

In light of the situation, the National Consensus Commission has called an “emergency” meeting with political parties at 6:00 pm today, Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, members of the commission met with Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of the interim government.

The July National Charter is being prepared based on 84 reform proposals submitted by six reform commissions. The charter is scheduled to be signed on Friday. On Tuesday night, the final draft was sent to the political parties.

However, consensus on the mechanism for implementing the charter has yet to be reached. The commission was expected to provide separate recommendations on the issue, but that has not yet been finalised.

Although all parties have agreed on holding a referendum to implement the charter, they remain divided over the date and procedure for the vote. Some parties are demanding assurances about the implementation process before signing the document.

Sources said that on Tuesday night, the National Citizen Party (NCP) held a meeting with the National Consensus Commission, where the party took a firm stance.

During the meeting, NCP representatives stated that the party would not sign the charter unless the reform process proceeds through the issuance of a constitutional order.

Sources say that on Tuesday night, the National Citizen Party (NCP) held a meeting with the National Consensus Commission, where the party took a firm stance. During the meeting, the NCP stated that it would not sign the charter unless the reform process proceeds through the issuance of a “constitutional order.”

According to sources concerned, the NCP believes that during the previous formulation of the July declaration, they had made concessions. This time, they are unwilling to give any further concessions. They are in favour of restarting full discussions, particularly on reforms related to constitutional amendments.

Meanwhile, uncertainty remains over whether Jamaat-e-Islami will sign the finalised July charter, as the implementation method is not explicitly mentioned. The party has not yet made a final decision, but a meeting is expected tonight, according to party sources.

A senior policymaker of Jamaat-e-Islami told Prothom Alo on Wednesday morning, “We received the final copy of the charter this morning. If there are discrepancies, we will point them out. To the extent that political parties have reached a consensus, we will sign. However, we have heard there are multiple attempts to manipulate the charter.”

Several leftist parties are also reportedly hesitant to sign the charter. Meanwhile, the BNP had proposed including a clause in the charter regarding their commitments, but the commission did not incorporate it.

The July National Charter is being prepared based on 84 reform proposals submitted by six reform commissions. While the draft has been finalised, consensus on the implementation method has not been reached, leaving the charter stalled.

Discussions with political parties on the reform proposals concluded on 31 July. Following demands from some parties, the Consensus Commission held formal and informal discussions with parties and experts regarding the implementation method, which concluded on 9 October.

During these talks, consensus was reached to implement the charter through a referendum. However, disagreements remain over the basis, timing, and procedure of the referendum, particularly among the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and NCP.

On 9 October, the commission had informed the parties that it would recommend implementation methods to the government after coordinating expert and party opinions.

Following that, informal discussions were held with the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and NCP to reduce differences regarding the implementation method.

According to sources, disagreements over the referendum basis, whether it will coincide with parliamentary elections or take place earlier, and the questions to be included, have not yet been resolved. Sources from the Consensus Commission said that in tonight’s meeting, the parties will discuss whether they will sign the charter and, if necessary, revisit the implementation method. The discussion is scheduled to be broadcast live on BTV News.

Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission, told Prothom Alo, “An urgent meeting with political parties will be held this evening. Before that, the commission will meet with the Chief Adviser.”