Bangladesh Nationalist Party has taken a cautious but engaged stance on the interim government鈥檚 proposed draft of the July Declaration, viewing it as a potentially significant political document, but one that must be grounded in historical truth and constitutional alignment.
BNP鈥檚 position emerged following a two-day meeting of its standing committee on Tuesday and Wednesday, where party leaders discussed internal reform proposals as well as the July Declaration, which is being coordinated by the interim government.
The declaration is intended to mark the transition from a fascist regime to a democratic interim administration following the mass uprising of students in July and August 2024.
The BNP leaders acknowledged the significance of a unified political narrative after the fall of the previous regime but have insisted that the narrative must reflect the true history and values of the Bangladeshi people.
According to the standing committee members, the draft circulated by the interim government contained references to 1947鈥攖he creation of Pakistan鈥攁s the starting point of Bangladesh鈥檚 political evolution.
This framing has been rejected by the BNP, which insists that any such declaration must begin from March 25, 1971, the onset of the Liberation War.
One of the standing committee members told 抖阴精品 that Bangladesh鈥檚 birth should never be tied to Pakistan鈥檚 founding.
鈥業f any history must be included, it must start from 1971鈥攐ur own struggle, our own movement,鈥� he stated.
The BNP leader said that if the declaration intends to offer historical context, it must acknowledge key national events such as the 1952 Language Movement, the 1962 education commission protests, the 1969 mass uprising and the Six-Point Movement.
These events, he argued, are essential to the country鈥檚 identity and cannot be ignored.
In addition to historical content, the BNP has also taken issue with several linguistic and structural elements of the draft.
The BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku said parts of the document contradict the spirit of the constitution and therefore require revision.
鈥極ur concern is not only with history. Certain elements in the language are inconsistent with constitutional principles. These cannot be allowed to stand,鈥� he said.
Another standing committee member said that the draft was circulated to committee members in advance of the meeting to allow time for a thorough review.
The leadership, including Abdul Moyeen Khan, the party acting chairman Tarique Rahman and the secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, met to finalise BNP鈥檚 official feedback, he said.
鈥榃e are trying to reach complete consensus鈥攊f not 100 per cent, then very close. But we will not compromise on history or constitutional principles,鈥� he said.
Moyeen Khan confirmed that the draft of the July Declaration dominated discussions during the meeting.
He revealed that the interim government had sent a previous version earlier this year, to which the BNP had submitted its response on 12 February.
The new version, he said, was now being reviewed again.
In December 2024, student leaders announced their own intention to publish a July Declaration but later deferred its release following assurances from the interim administration that it would incorporate their demands in a national document.
Early in 2025, the interim government circulated a draft of its own, but political dialogue around the declaration stalled for months.
Renewed pressure from the National Citizens鈥� Party reignited the process in May.
On May 10, the interim government鈥檚 advisory council resolved to finalise the declaration within 30 working days.
Since then, political consultations have resumed in earnest, although no final version has yet been agreed upon.
Moyeen Khan indicated that the party鈥檚 secretary general will brief the media once the recommendation of the BNP on the draft July declaration is finalised.
