July Charter could require 60–70 constitutional changes, akin to rewriting: Akhtar Hossain

National Citizen Party (NCP) member secretary Akhtar Hossain has said that, under the July Charter, the current constitution will need 60 to 70 or more amendments, which is effectively equivalent to rewriting the constitution.

Speaking at a press conference at the NCP’s temporary office in Banglamotor, Dhaka, on Saturday afternoon, Akhtar said, “On the issues where we have reached a principled agreement, even the draft text is not yet finalised. The text will ultimately be prepared by those who are elected through the Constituent Assembly election.”

He added that once a new constitution is adopted, it cannot be challenged in court. “That is why if we incorporate the reform proposals into the new constitution, only then will the courts be unable to challenge it,” he noted.

The press conference was organised to present the NCP’s observations on the draft July Charter. Akhtar stated that there is no point in the National Citizen Party signing a failed charter.

“The July Charter will fail to embody the people’s aspirations for freedom unless it is given legal basis and properly implemented,” he said.

He emphasised that unless the Constituent Assembly election leads to a constitutional proposal incorporating the July Charter, it will be deemed a failure.

Akhtar further said that the commission has already moved away from the original proposals of the National Constitutional Council (NCC). “In the interest of consensus, the NCP agreed to a modified proposal,” he noted.

However, he observed that confusion is being spread by some over how the commission’s decisions will be implemented. “I urge them to ensure that the decisions we have agreed upon and adopted are implemented properly,” Akhtar said.

He questioned why some interpret the process of enacting a new constitution through a Constituent Assembly differently. “To truly implement the commitments of the July Charter in Bangladesh, political parties and civil society must act in unison. We must ensure the country never again veers toward fascism, and that the elements of the constitution left behind by Hasina do not return,” he declared.

Akhtar added that the commission has already decided to set up High Court branches in divisional cities, with benches there as well. “Similar changes were introduced under the eighth amendment. To make those sustainable, a new constitution will have to be written — one that cannot be questioned in the High Court or Supreme Court over its foundations.”

He concluded that the proposals and amendments under clause two would form the structure of the constitution. “To implement the July Charter, a Constituent Assembly election must be held, and the agreed provisions of the Charter must be adopted as guidelines and incorporated into the new constitution,” Akhtar said.