Parliament erupts over discussion on July Charter

The discussion on the motion of thanks on the President's address in the National Assembly has created extreme tension and uproar between the government and opposition members over the claim of the 'July Charter' and the single achievement of the mass uprising.

The situation heated up when Gazipur-2 MP Manjurul Karim Rony criticized the opposition party over the July Charter in the parliament session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Monday (April 27).

He said that unnecessary debate has been started on the 'July Charter' from the first day of this parliament. Addressing the opposition party, he said, 'If you want to claim the July movement as a single achievement, our hearts are hurt. We were there too, we also lost more than 400 of our comrades.'

After this statement, the opposition members stood up and protested strongly.

Md. Nurul Islam, MP for Chapainawabganj-3 constituency, said that calling the July Charter 'unnecessary' means insulting the blood of martyrs and the history of mass uprising. After this, a loud commotion started in the parliament chamber.

The Speaker repeatedly requested the members to calm down to handle the situation. He said, 'The beauty of democracy is differences of opinion. Everyone can express their opinions, but others should not be hindered.' He also called for maintaining parliamentary decency and tolerance.

Rony claimed on behalf of the government that they have been protesting on the streets for 17 long years. Questioning the political experience of the opposition party members, he said, 'The Awami League has the scars of the 2024 genocide on its hands, the Jatiya Party has the scars of the 90s student killings on its hands. BNP is the only party in this country that has no blood stains on its hands.'

He also said that if the opposition party brings a 'free heart', it is possible for everyone to build the country together.

On the other hand, opposition parties and coalition members claimed that the July Charter and the mass uprising were a historic moment that played an important role in the establishment of the current government. The intervention of the Speaker finally restored some calm.