The National Consensus Commission is set to circulate a revised draft of the July National Charter 2025 to political parties in a day or two for seeking final approval without further discussions on the document.
The decision was conveyed on Monday during an informal meeting with representatives of 17 political parties at the LD Auditorium of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka.
Party leaders who attended the meeting said that the commission decided not to extend time for further discussing the draft charter as it aimed to facilitate the endorsement of the document by the parties before its expiry on September 15.
However, NCC vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz said that political parties would be officially invited to discuss the final recommendation on the implementation method.
鈥楢 recommendation on the implementation method of the charter will be prepared by combining the opinions of the political parties and experts and it will be presented during formal discussions with the political parties and later submitted to the interim government as a recommendation,鈥� he said.
Parties and alliances that represented in Monday鈥檚 meeting included the Jatiyatabadi Somomona Jote, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlis, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), Gano Forum, Nationalist Democratic Movement, and Bhasani Janashakti Party.
鈥楾he commission informed us that parties will be allowed only to vote 鈥測es鈥� or 鈥渘o鈥� on the final draft,鈥櫬� said Masud Rana, chief coordinator of SPB (Marxist).
Seven other parties, including the Ganatantra Mancha components, met with the commission on Sunday.
According to NCC insiders, no further formal meetings were planned. Instead, these informal sessions were being used to gather opinions on how to implement the proposed reforms.
The commission clarified that the implementation method would not be part of the final charter. After analysing the parties鈥� feedbacks and experts鈥� opinions, the implementation methods would be submitted separately as recommendations to the interim government, the insiders said.
The revised draft, first shared on August 16, would reflect corrections, particularly in its prologue and covenant sections, and incorporate feedbacks from 29 political parties.
In Monday鈥檚 meeting, left-leaning parties and Bangladesh Nationalist Party allies reiterated their stance that the next parliament should approve constitutional reforms.
The JSD proposed a constitution reform council, while the Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlis, Zaker Party, and Nezam-e-Islam Party demanded a referendum or presidential proclamation to formalise the charter before the 13th national elections.
鈥榃ithout further discussion, the charter must be ratified in the first session of the next parliament,鈥� said Khelafat Majlis secretary general Ahmad Abdul Kader while sharing his party views.
SPB general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz said that his party urged the consensus commission to include only reform issues backed by overwhelming consensus in the main document, with dissenting opinions attached as an annex.
The commission鈥檚 initial draft of the charter included a prologue, a list of 84 reform issues, and a covenant. While the commission had claimed that most parties supported the reforms, several parties disputed the assertion.
Launched on February 15, the consensus commission held two rounds of dialogue with political parties between March 20 and July 31 to review recommendations from six reform commissions and draft the July Charter.
Over 30 political parties, excluding allies of the ousted Awami League regime, participated in the talks.
The commission鈥檚 tenure was extended by one month on August 15 after differing opinions among parties delayed timely endorsement of the charter.
