The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has decided not to accept Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami鈥檚 proposal to hold talks aimed at building political consensus on the implementation of the July National Charter.
According to a BNP standing committee member, Jamaat made an informal approach through its leader Abdullah Mohammad Taher, who contacted BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir over the phone.
The Jamaat leader proposed a meeting to discuss ways to reach consensus on the charter鈥檚 implementation.
The BNP leader said the party鈥檚 standing committee discussed the issue and decided not to respond to the initiative, arguing that the invitation lacked proper formality and that the BNP does not attend meetings convened by other political parties.
He added that if the interim government wished to initiate talks, it could invite the BNP directly instead of using intermediaries.
The BNP will only join discussions if the head of the interim government formally invites us, the leader said, adding that even then, the party would demand clear assurances that the national election would be held on schedule.
The BNP leader also questioned the motive behind Jamaat鈥檚 outreach, saying the move appeared to align with a government agenda.
If the government wants discussions, it should call us itself 鈥� not through another political party, he said.
Jamaat, meanwhile, has begun contacting several political parties, including the BNP, in an effort to build consensus on the charter鈥檚 execution.
Jamaat assistant secretary general Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair told 抖阴精品 that the party had assigned its nayeb-e-amir Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and assistant secretary general Hamidur Rahman Azad to engage with other parties on the issue.
He confirmed that Taher had spoken by phone with BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday to propose a meeting. The Jamaat envoys have also reached out to several other political parties, some of which have shown interest in participating in the dialogue.
The disagreement reflects deeper divisions between the BNP and Islamist parties, including Jamaat, over the timing of a referendum on implementing the July National Charter. The BNP wants the referendum held on the same day as the parliamentary elections, while Jamaat and its allies prefer holding the referendum first to give the charter legal authority before the polls.
Tensions have been mounting since the National Consensus Commission submitted its proposals to the interim government on October 28, outlining mechanisms for implementing the charter. The BNP later raised objections, citing inconsistencies between the October 17 charter and the version attached to the commission鈥檚 proposals.
Amid the disputes, the interim government has urged political parties to engage among themselves to resolve outstanding issues related to the charter and associated reforms. At a meeting of the Advisory Council on November 2, the government warned that if the parties failed to reach a consensus within a week, it would move ahead on its own.
The BNP鈥檚 standing committee meeting, held Thursday night, reiterated that the government could invite the party directly if it sought dialogue. The meeting also accused the interim administration of 鈥渄isplaying partisanship鈥� by using other political parties to signal its intentions.
In a statement issued after the meeting chaired by acting BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, the party said it upheld the matters agreed upon within the National Consensus Commission 鈥� including those with dissenting notes 鈥� and remained committed to implementing the October 17 charter in line with the Constitution and existing laws.
The statement further said the BNP would resist any attempt to create new controversies over the unanimously adopted July National Charter, which it said honours the sacrifices made during the 16-year democratic struggle and the July鈥揂ugust 2024 mass uprising.
It expressed confidence that all political parties would remain united in implementing the consensus achieved through broad-based discussions and would not hinder the upcoming national election.
The BNP urged the interim government to take sincere and effective steps to implement the agreed elements of the charter in a lawful manner and to ensure that the national election is held on time.