July National Charter to Be Finalized This Week, Implementation Methods Excluded

The National Consensus Commission is set to finalize the draft of the July National Charter within this week. However, the charter will not include details on the methods of implementing the proposed reforms. The commission plans to submit separate recommendations to the interim government regarding implementation strategies based on inputs from political parties and experts. The implementation methods will not form part of the July National Charter.

The commission has already gathered feedback from political parties in two rounds regarding the preliminary and integrated drafts of the charter. No further feedback will be sought on the final draft. Instead, the commission will send the finalized document to political parties, inviting them to sign it. The decision to sign the charter rests with the parties, according to sources from the National Consensus Commission and political parties.

Discussions with political parties on the reform proposals from six reform commissions have resulted in consensus on 84 issues, which will form the basis of the July National Charter. Although the target was to finalize the charter in July, delays occurred due to disagreements among political parties on implementation methods and commitments. The commission hopes to send the final draft to political parties by Thursday. Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-Chair of the National Consensus Commission, confirmed that implementation methods will not be part of the charter. The commission has been holding informal discussions with political parties to address implementation strategies. On Monday, meetings were held with 17 parties, and the previous day with eight parties. Earlier, informal talks were also held with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizens Party (NCP). Significant differences persist among political parties regarding implementation methods. The BNP favors implementing constitutional proposals through the next parliament. Jamaat-e-Islami advocates for a referendum or presidential proclamation, while the NCP calls for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. Sources from the commission indicate that including implementation methods in the charter could lead some parties to refrain from signing it. Additionally, the commission’s mandate, as outlined in its formation notification, does not include determining implementation methods. The commission’s mandate, as per the notification, is to engage with political parties and stakeholders to build national consensus on the recommendations of the six reform commissions ahead of the upcoming election and to propose steps accordingly. On July 31, the second round of discussions with political parties concluded. During these talks, Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP emphasized the need to discuss and decide on implementation methods. The BNP questioned whether the commission had the authority to determine implementation methods but expressed willingness to participate in such discussions. The commission believes that proposing implementation methods to the government, based on inputs from political parties and experts, would be the best approach. The commission also plans to consult the interim government before finalizing these recommendations. During Monday’s informal discussions, this stance was conveyed to the political parties. The final draft of the charter will consist of three parts: the background of the charter, the agreed-upon proposals, and a commitment to implementation. Although there was initial consideration to include implementation methods in the charter, this plan has been dropped due to lack of consensus.

During Monday’s informal discussions at the LD Hall of the National Parliament, the commission met with 17 parties, including the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), BASAD, Bangladesh JASAD, Khilafat Majlis, Gono Forum, NDM, and Bangladesh Jatiya Dal. Various suggestions on implementation methods were raised, including referendums, presidential proclamations, constituent assemblies, and implementation through the next parliament.