‘July Charter’ close to finalization: Ali Riaz

Professor Ali Riaz, Vice President of the National Consensus Commission, has stated that the 'National July Charter' is nearing finalization. He emphasized that its implementation now rests with the political parties and expressed willingness to engage in further discussions with them, if necessary, to determine the way forward.

Speaking on Thursday (July 31) at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka during the 23rd day of the second phase of dialogue with political parties, Professor Ali Riaz stated that around 13 points of agreement have been reached on state reform issues. “We believe the political parties can chart a course to implement the matters they have agreed upon,” he said. Riaz added that the National Consensus Commission will serve as both a formal and informal facilitator in this process.

Riaz said that the draft of the July Charter has been updated based on feedback from political parties. “The charter consists of two key elements: first, the areas of consensus along with their context, and second, a shared commitment to continue dialogue in the future,” he said.

On the concluding day of the second phase of dialogue, discussions focused on several major issues, including the Public Service Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the appointment process for the Ombudsman, the proposed structure and authority of an upper house in Parliament, the method for electing its members, the procedure for electing the President, formation of an electoral college, the President’s roles and responsibilities, the caretaker government system, proposals to expand citizens' fundamental rights, and the foundational principles of the state.

Ali Riaz further said, “We want to conclude this phase of dialogue today. Although some discussions were already held earlier, decisions will be finalized now. Many issues discussed today require concrete decisions, especially those responsibilities assigned to us. We will present the decisions where consensus has been reached. There are also some topics not yet discussed in detail, and we would like to make decisions on those directly from the floor today.”

“Today, we aim to wrap up this phase of the discussion. In some areas, there was space for dissenting opinions, and that option is still available. If there are any disagreements during today’s talks, there will be an opportunity to register them,” he added.

The meeting was also attended by Commission members Justice Emdadul Haque, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Dr Md Ayub Mia, Dr Iftekharuzzaman and Safar Raj Hossain and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider.