July Charter implementation: Political parties reach consensus on referendum

Significant progress has been made among political parties regarding the implementation of the July National Charter, with a consensus emerging on holding a referendum to ensure public participation, according to professor Ali Riaz, vice-chairman of the National Consensus Commission.

Stating that the political parties consider the people’s participation essential over implementation of the July Charter, Ali Riaz said, “All political parties have agreed on holding a referendum to secure the people’s consent. We view this as the first major step in the implementation process.”

He was speaking to the media on Sunday at the Foreign Service Academy on Bailey Road, Dhaka, after the fourth round of discussions with political parties on constitutional proposals related to the July Charter.

He explained that after the earlier meetings held on 11, 14, and 17 September, parties were given time for internal consultations. In today’s session, a unified position was reached on both the referendum and the framework for constitutional reform.

The Commission has also proposed a structure for the new legislature to be formed after the next general election.

Professor Riaz said, “The legislature to be formed through the February elections must be designed in a way that facilitates the constitutional amendments proposed under the July Charter. Political parties are, in principle, in agreement on this as well.”

The National Consensus Commission vice-chairman further noted that while some parties had previously suggested seeking an advisory opinion from the Supreme Court under Article 106 of the Constitution, most now believe such a step may no longer be necessary.

Expressing gratitude for the “tolerance” and “courage to reconsider positions” shown by the political parties, professor Ali Riaz said, “They have stepped beyond partisan boundaries to contribute to building national consensus. This marks a significant advancement in implementing the July Charter.”

He informed the media that the progress achieved was communicated earlier in the day to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, who urged the Commission to finalise its recommendations swiftly.

He added that the Commission hopes to submit the final recommendations to the government by 15 October, noting that three-fourths of the 30 participating parties have already sent the names of their representatives authorised to sign the Charter.

The next round of discussions with political parties and alliances is scheduled for 8 October afternoon, alongside separate meetings with a panel of legal and constitutional experts to clarify the implementation framework.

Present at the briefing were Commission members justice Md Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, Badiul Alam Majumdar, Md Aiyub Mia, and Monir Haider, Chief Adviser’s special assistant on the National Consensus Commission.