Prothom Alo :
After much debate and political turbulence, the July Charter has finally been signed. Now there’s controversy over how it should be implemented. Do you see the possibility of a new crisis arising from this?
Mahmudur Rahman Manna: It’s not impossible. If we try to create a crisis, we certainly can. But if we aim to avoid one, there are ways to resolve any crisis that may arise.
Prothom Alo :
The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by the youths who led the July uprising, didn’t sign the charter. How do you view that?
Manna: I think it happened mainly due to inexperience, lack of understanding, and a bit of stubbornness on both sides. Initially, we were told that the government had resolved the issue through talks with the NCP.
To be honest, even after everything that happened, there are still areas of the July Charter that can be questioned. Couldn’t those have been settled through dialogue? I think they could have been. It would’ve been better to avoid this situation. After all, it was because of them (the NCP) that this uprising took place. The fact that we could even have such a charter is largely their achievement. Leaving them out of the signing process doesn’t look good.
Prothom Alo :
Some believe that if the NCP’s concerns and demands aren’t addressed, new tensions may arise. What’s your view?
Manna: The term of the Consensus Commission has been extended, with the reason given that changes and additions will be made to the July Charter. If that’s the case, why wasn’t it settled earlier? Still, I don’t think the NCP’s refusal to sign the charter will cause a major crisis.
The July Charter was finalised through consensus. Some say the BNP’s demands dominated the process—from drafting to approval to signatures. Do you agree?
Manna: I don’t think that’s an accurate way to put it. The BNP is a large, major party. If they have dissenting views, those must be taken into account. The real question was how that dissent should be treated or accommodated.
Last Friday, a group identifying themselves as “July Fighters” entered the National Parliament area during the signing ceremony, leading to clashes with police. Could the government have avoided that situation?
Manna: I wouldn’t say it was entirely avoidable—but it certainly shouldn’t have been allowed to escalate to that level.
The interim government plans to hold the national election in the first half of February. Given the current situation, do you foresee any concerns about holding it on time?
Manna: Not really. But there could be concerns about the quality of the election.
Considering the current law and order situation, how possible is it to ensure a fair election environment?
Among those who are likely to come to power—frankly, the BNP—I don’t doubt their sincerity. My question is whether they will fully understand and implement what needs to be done. That remains to be seen
Manna: That’s precisely why I mentioned concerns about quality. The police, for instance, aren’t yet showing full engagement in ensuring order.
You led the student unions at Dhaka University and Chittagong University multiple times. Recently, Islami Chhatra Shibir won student union elections at four major universities for the first time, dominating almost entirely.
Could such results influence the upcoming national election?
Manna: Yes, student union election results do have some influence on national elections. But not to the extent that they can change the overall outcome.
During the July uprising, people expressed a strong desire for democratic transformation and for the country to function under order and discipline. There’s now public discussion that the interim government has failed to fulfill that aspiration. How much do you think the next elected government can deliver on that front?
Manna: It’s hard to comment before seeing which government takes office. But among those who are likely to come to power—frankly, the BNP—I don’t doubt their sincerity. My question is whether they will fully understand and implement what needs to be done. That remains to be seen.
Thank you.
Manna: Thank you too.