The responses of political parties to the National Consensus Commission鈥檚 call for recommendations on how to implement the July National Charter 2025 revealed persisting differences among themselves.
The commission on September 1 had invited 28 political parties to submit written proposals recommending ways to execute the charter.
By Friday, 27 parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the National Citizen Party, gave their responses, according to the commission.
The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was yet to finalise and submit its recommendations as of Friday.
The NCP on Friday, in its letter to the commission, reaffirmed that forming a constituent assembly would be the best democratic way to execute the July Charter.
Explaining its stance, the party said that the charter reflected the people鈥檚 sovereign will and as such its implementation should also be carried out by a representative and accountable institution.
鈥楢 constituent assembly, ensuring a broad representation of the people, can provide a constitutional framework for the proposed reforms and the charter鈥檚 execution,鈥� said NCP joint convener Javed Rasin.
Some religion-based parties, including the Khelafat Majlis, proposed either a referendum or a special presidential ordinance to implement the charter before the next national elections.
In a three-page letter to the commission, the BNP offered three recommendations for implementing the charter.
The interim government, the party suggested, can immediately implement the urgent reforms through ordinances, regulations, and administrative orders. It also urged the government to initiate implementing the non-urgent reforms that did not call for changes in the constitution.
The BNP鈥檚 third proposal was that the next elected government should ensure the full implementation of the charter within two years of the new government鈥檚 taking office.
The letter, signed by BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, pointed out that the interim government was formed under the existing constitution.
鈥業f any government formed under the constitution uses state power to replace it with a new constitutional arrangement, it would not be a revolution but a 鈥渃oup鈥�,鈥� the letter stated.
Several parties, including left-leaning groups and BNP allies, opposed the idea of a constituent assembly or referendum.
According to the letter sent by the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), a聽 referendum contradicts section 25 of the July Declaration, which stipulates that constitutional reforms will be implemented by a Jatiya Sangsad formed through a free, fair, and impartial election.
Echoing the BNP stance, the Nationalist Democratic Movement also rejected both a referendum and a constituent assembly to carry out the constitutional reforms.
The Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh similarly opposed a referendum for adopting the charter with many 鈥榙issenting opinions鈥�. The party recommended that the next elected government should enact the proposed constitutional amendments.
Jamaat assistant secretary general Hamidur Rahman Khan Azad on Friday said that the party鈥檚 expert committee was yet to finalise its recommendations.聽 Earlier, the party had expressed support for a referendum.
Commenting on opposition to a referendum, Azad said, 鈥楾hose 鈥渉eadstrong鈥� parties opposing suitable solutions may also reject internationally accepted ones, adding that political parties must prioritise national interest over political interest.鈥�
Commission insiders said on Friday that it had finalised a revised version of the charter, while a separate document outlining implementation recommendations was still being drafted.
A commission member further said that it would consult legal experts on the parties鈥� feedbacks, finalise the second document, and send both to the parties for review.
