Clear doubts surrounding July Charter

At yesterday’s signing ceremony of the July National Charter, leaders from 25 of the 52 parties registered with the Election Commission took part. Among them, 48 leaders from 24 parties signed the charter, excluding Gano Forum. Of those 24 parties, four are not registered with the Election Commission.

Broadly speaking, six parties that had participated in discussions with the National Consensus Commission (NCP, CPB, BSD, BSD-Marxist, Bangladesh JASAD, and Gano Forum) did not sign the charter. As a result, the long-awaited “July Charter” has faced uncertainty from the very beginning, with several parties choosing to stay away from the signing ceremony.

Regarding their absence, Akhtar Hossain, Member Secretary of the National Citizens’ Party, told the media that they wanted to continue discussions with the Consensus Commission until their three-point demands were met. They also raised questions about the legal basis of the July Charter.

Meanwhile, although the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami signed the July Charter, Jamaat has also expressed doubts about its legal validity. This has further fuelled public confusion. There had already been uncertainty about whether political leaders could reach a consensus with the Commission; the absence of several parties from the signing has made that doubt even stronger.

According to media reports published on Friday (17 October), the July National Charter was signed by the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, along with leaders of various political parties. The signing took place at 5pm on Friday, with Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-President of the National Consensus Commission, and other members of the commission also signing the charter.

Reports also stated that before the ceremony began, around 1 p.m., there was a chase and counter-chase between a group identifying themselves as “July Fighters” and members of the law enforcement agencies. Consequently, public attendance at the event remained very low. Earlier, the Consensus Commission had to revise the fifth point of the July Charter’s pledge at the last moment, following protests from individuals identifying themselves as “families of July martyrs and injured fighters.”

Despite various obstacles, disagreements, and controversies, the Chief Adviser, Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus, described the signing of the July Charter as the beginning of a new Bangladesh. Thanking the political parties for their participation, he said, “Today marks our rebirth. Through this signing, we have launched a new Bangladesh.”

Discussions about the July Charter have already begun on social media. Even though the charter has been signed, doubts remain about how effectively it will be implemented. This is particularly because the NCP, a major force in the July mass uprising and now a key player in national politics despite being a new party, has not yet come on board.

This means that much dialogue and negotiation are still needed. However, if these issues remain unresolved before the election, public uncertainty surrounding the polls will deepen. It is now the responsibility of both the interim government and the political parties to dispel these doubts. Our expectation is that the interim government will act swiftly to clear all confusion surrounding the July Charter.