Dhaka: National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Dr. Ali Riaz today announced the preparation of the preliminary draft of the highly anticipated “July Charter.” He made these remarks during his opening speech at the commencement of the 19th meeting’s second phase with various political parties.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the commission has already prepared a draft of the July Charter, which will be circulated to all political parties for their consideration by tomorrow. Prof Ali Riaz urged the political parties to discuss the draft internally and provide their feedback, which will be considered for incorporation.
Prof Ali Riaz highlighted that unless any significant fundamental objections arise from the political parties, the draft will not be further discussed in the meeting. Once all opinions are received and incorporated, the final version of the July Charter will be presented, complete with its background, initial statements, commitments, and procedural issues.
Emphasizing the time constraint, Prof Ali Riaz stated that discussions must conclude by July 31. “By completing the discussion, we want to move forward to the next stage of completing this process,” he said. He also noted that consensus has been reached on 10 issues, while some dissent notes remain, with seven issues discussed but yet unresolved, and three issues still pending discussion.
The agenda for today’s meeting included previously unresolved issues and a new topic, aiming to clarify discussions to progress towards signing the National Charter. Topics up for discussion included the basic principles of state governance, a proposal to expand citizens’ fundamental rights, and the formation of an ‘Independent Police Commission’ to enhance the professionalism and accountability of the police force.
Representatives from 30 political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Gana Sanghati, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, and Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, participated in the meeting.
The meeting also saw attendance from Commission members Justice Emdadul Haque, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, Dr. Md Ayub Mia, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, and Safar Raj Hossain, along with Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider.
According to commission sources, discussions with political parties will continue over the next few days to reach consensus on all unresolved issues crucial for the state, aiming for the swift formulation of the July Charter.