The interim government and the National Consensus Commission are prepared to organise the July National Charter 2025 signing ceremony in Dhaka today amid the abstention of several political parties.
Two of the major political parties, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party, until Thursday evening did not confirm their endorsement of the charter while four left-leaning parties said that they would not sign the charter.聽聽
The charter signing ceremony is scheduled to begin at 4:00pm at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad. Chief adviser Professor Yunus is set to chair the ceremony, which some 3,000 guests are expected to attend.
Amid political differences, the consensus commission held a press conference at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad at 6:300pm onThursday to brief journalists about the preparations of the signing ceremony.
Commission officials, preferring anonymity, said that they were trying to convince the leaders of the Jamaat and the NCP to ensure their presence in the signing ceremony.
They disclosed that a team of NCC member Badiul Alam Majumder and聽 chief adviser鈥檚 special assistant for reforms Monir Haidar visited the top three leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the Jamaat, and the NCP on Thursday night.
Earlier, in the afternoon, the interim government extended the tenure of the National Consensus Commission till October 31.
Formally beginning its task on February 15, the consensus commission鈥檚 tenure was extended for the third time.
In the press briefing, NCC vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz announced that the commission would present a clear, specific and comprehensive recommendation on the implementation of the July Charter by October 31.
鈥楾he government, too, is expected to take concrete steps within this period to initiate the process of implementation,鈥� he said.
Besides the commission members, cultural ministry adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, the co-organiser of the signing ceremony, was also present in the press conference.
On Thursday noon, NCP convener Nahid Islam, addressing a press conference at the party office, said that his party would not sign the charter unless its implementation process was made public.
Earlier, on Wednesday night, after a meeting chaired by the chief adviser, Jamaat nayeb-e-amir Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said that his party would attend the signing ceremony but their endorsement of the charter was still undecided.
Regarding the uncertainty about signing the charter by the Jamaat and the NCP, Ali Riaz said, 鈥楾hat charter will be signed on Friday. Despite differences of opinion, we聽 hope that the leaders of the parties involved in the reform initiatives will attend the ceremony.鈥�
Riaz added that the commission would continue formal and informal dialogues with political parties and the jurist panel to finalise the implementation procedures.
Replying to a question, he said that the parties that would absent from the signing ceremony can sign the charter later as stakeholders of the reform initiatives.
鈥楾his charter is not complete, because the reforms cannot end right at the signing ceremony,鈥� he further said.
Although the commission revealed the final draft of the 84-point July Charter on September 10, scheduling the date of signing the charter had been delayed as several parties demanded the finalisation of the implementation procedures.
Following several meetings with jurists and political leaders, the commission presented multiple options, including the issuance of a special order, or an executive order on the implementation of the charter, to facilitate a referendum for the legalisation of the document.
With positive results for a referendum, the next Jatiya Sangsad would be given the constituent assembly power to incorporate the charter into the constitution, according to the recommendation.
Although the 30 political parties that have taken part in the consensus dialogue since February have agreed on the referendum, no decision could be made yet due to diverse opinions of political parties on the date of the referendum.
The BNP and the like-minded parties recommended the referendum on the same day of the 13th national elections planned for early February 2026.
On the other hand, the Jamaat and other Islamic parties demanded that the referendum must be held by November.聽
In the NCP鈥檚 press conference, party convener Nahid said that the charter signing ceremony before the finalisation of its implementation procedures would merely be ceremonial.
鈥榃e can attend the signing event only after the issue is fixed; otherwise, it will certainly not be possible for us to participate,鈥� said Nahid.
He added that the full text of the July Charter Implementation Order, along with the provisions concerning the proposed referendum, should be finalised and made public ahead of the signing ceremony.
Commission insiders said that leaders of the Jamaat and the NCP would be verbally assured by Thursday night of the issuance of their 鈥榚xpected鈥� order and a specific time of holding the referendum.
In the afternoon, leaders of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, the Socialist Party of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, and the SPB (Marxist) held a press briefing at the CPB headquarters in Dhaka, said that they would refrain from signing the charter.
Explaining their position, SPB general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz said that they would avoid the signing ceremony as their demand for maintaining the existing four fundamental principles in the constitution was not met in the final version of the charter.
The four parties also protested against a reform proposal to repeal Article 150(2) of the constitution.
He added that the prologue of the July Charter did not portray the 1971 Independence War.
