BNP suggests replacing first session of parliament with ‘as soon as possible’

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has stated that the constitutional authority concerning the July Charter will ultimately derive from the people.

“The means of exercising that authority will be a referendum. If the people approve the Charter through the referendum, it will then be the responsibility of the next parliament to implement the provisions declared in the charter,” he said.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday night following the final day of discussions with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy on Bailey Road, Dhaka—organised by the National Consensus Commission—Salahuddin Ahmed elaborated on the implementation of the July National Charter.

According to him, “What the people approve through the referendum will create a binding mandate upon Parliament.”

However, he clarified that this does not mean the next parliament will be prohibited from undertaking other reforms; rather, the provisions of the July Charter must be accepted without exception.

The BNP leader further stated that imposing an obligation to implement the Charter within the first session of parliament might prove impractical.

He therefore proposed the phrase “as soon as possible” be adopted, allowing parliament the necessary time to complete procedural and legal formalities.

Salahuddin Ahmed added that the formation of a second chamber could be considered only after the charter has been approved.

Regarding the timing of the referendum, Salahuddin Ahmed said that holding it on the same day as the next national election (scheduled for the first half of February 2026) would be the most rational decision. His reasoning was that conducting the referendum separately would be costly, time-consuming and administratively complex.

However, several political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), have objected to holding the referendum on the same day as the election.

They prefer that it be conducted beforehand to establish the legal basis of the July Charter.

In response, Salahuddin Ahmed stated, “If the election and the referendum are held on the same day, voters can cast ballots for both simultaneously. This is not new in our electoral culture. It will save time, reduce expenses, and minimise administrative complications.”

Salahuddin Ahmed further informed that a gazette notification would be issued to implement the July Charter, which would serve as the basis for conducting the referendum.

The forthcoming referendum law or ordinance would specify that public consent is required for the charter’s implementation. If necessary, the election commission and the government would hold discussions to determine the relevant regulations for conducting the referendum.

Concluding his remarks, Salahuddin Ahmed thanked the members of the National Consensus Commission saying, “It is a positive step in the national interest that all parties are moving towards compromise.”

Representatives from 30 political parties—including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, Islami Andolan, and the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB)—attended the final day of discussions.

The meeting was chaired by National Consensus Commission vice-chairman Ali Riaz and attended by members justice Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, Badiul Alam Majumdar, and Ayub Mia.

The session was conducted by Monir Haider, special assistant (consensus building) to the chief adviser of the interim government.