Bangladesh finalises the "July Charter" to implement reform agendas

Dhaka [Bangladesh], October 16 : Bangladesh has finalised the "July National Charter 2025", a document of agendas, drawn up on the basis of consensus among the political parties to implement post-uprising reforms in the country.

The charter is likely to be signed by the political parties on Friday, October 17, in a grand ceremony at the south plaza of the Bangladesh parliament building in the capital, Dhaka. The country's interim government's chief, Muhammad Yunus, will be present at the ceremony.

Yunus, on Wednesday, in a meeting with the political leaders, expressed optimism that the signing ceremony of the "July National Charter 2025" on 17 October will become an occasion of celebration for the whole nation.

"You have made it possible which appeared to be impossible. We will join the ceremony on Friday in a festive mood and sign it. This is our hope, and we will spread it to the whole nation," he said, reaffirming that the next national election will be held in February.

The charter did not include any implementation roadmap. In July 2024, a student-led movement led to the ouster of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5 of that year. Sheikh Hasina fled the country and an interim government was formed under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The National Consensus Commission was formed under Yunus's leadership to formulate proposals for state reforms based on the motto of the July Movement. The commission held months of discussions with the parties involved in the movement to oust Sheikh Hasina, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and NCP.

However, the interim government has kept Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League, its coalition parties, including Jatio Party of late military ruler General Ershad, out of the process of formulating the July Charter.

The final version of the July charter was also published in the media, and it was handed over to political parties ahead of its signing ceremony.

The political parties have recommended several structural, legal and institutional changes to the current system of governance, namely the constitution, the electoral system, the judiciary, the public administration, the police system, and the system for curbing corruption.

According to bdnews24.com, the Consensus Commission, based on full agreement among these parties and the alliance, has finalised 84 points on 17 areas of state reform. The remaining 67 points, however, drew dissent from some parties, who issued formal notes of dissent.

The 84 points have been classified by the commission into two categories: 47 requiring constitutional amendments and 37 to be implemented through laws, ordinances, rules, or executive orders. The Charter spans 40 pages, outlining the background of the reform initiative, the commission's activities, the specific 84 reform points, commitments from political parties, and spaces for signatures. Some issues and the methods of implementation remain unresolved, it added.

Four leftist political parties today announced that they will not sign the July National Charter on various grounds, including that the charter did not mention the four basic principles of the constitution. The four parties are: Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Basod). Bangladesh JSD, and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist), the Daily Star reported.

Another political party, Gonoforum, warned that they will not sign the charter if the telegram of the Declaration of Independence issued by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 26, 1971 in the Sixth Schedule, and the Proclamation of Independence of the Mujibnagar Government on April 10, 1971 in the Seventh Schedule of the constitution, are missing in the July Charter, the daily star report said.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor