Political rift over July charter widens

The BNP accused the National Consensus Commission of deception, while Jamaat demanded that the referendum on constitutional reforms in the July charter be held before the national polls, even if that means a delay in the election.

National Citizen Party, meanwhile, said there can be no election unless the charter is implemented, as it placed forward its own set of demands, including reconstitution of the Election Commission.

The reactions came a day after the commission submitted its much-awaited recommendations on implementing the July National Charter 2025, laying bare deepening divisions among political stakeholders over the reform process.

At a Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday night, the BNP alleged that Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus broke his promise to remain neutral, as the commission’s final recommendations excluded the party’s views. Acting chairman Tarique Rahman chaired the meeting virtually from London.

Senior BNP leaders said the exclusion of the party’s views, “the biggest stakeholder”, showed that both the commission and the government had favoured a few selected political groups. Some of these groups, they claimed, were now trying to exploit the situation for their own interests.

Party insiders said many of the recommendations appeared to reflect the demands of the Jamaat and the NCP. By moving ahead without political consensus, the government was putting the entire political environment at risk, they warned. Some even questioned the chief adviser’s intention to hold the election as per the February 2026 timeline, calling the omissions an “attempt” to delay the polls.

ELECTION FIRST: BNP

Speaking at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the commission had “deceived the people and political parties” through its final recommendations.

“We were surprised to see that the issues on which we disagreed, and for which we gave notes of dissent, were completely ignored,” he said.

Urging Yunus to correct the record by including the BNP’s dissenting notes, he said the chief adviser made a commitment to hold an acceptable election and carry out the necessary reforms.

“The parliament to be formed through that election will be the place to resolve all these crises…. If there is any deviation from this, or if you [Yunus] go beyond it, you will have to take full responsibility,” he warned.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed echoed similar frustrations, saying the commission’s proposals did not reflect the discussions held with political parties nor align with the July charter signed on October 17.

“The report only contains the commission’s proposals. It does not mention what the political parties recommended, where consensus was reached, or where notes of dissent were recorded,” he said while speaking at a seminar held at a city hotel, he said at a seminar at a city hotel.

“If this [omission of notes of dissent] was their plan all along, what was the point of 11 months of dialogue?”

— Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP Standing Committee member

“If this [omission of notes of dissent] was their plan all along, what was the point of 11 months of dialogue?”

He alleged that several issues now proposed for referendum were never discussed by the commission. He also criticised the Election Commission’s decision to compel alliance candidates to contest under their own party symbols, calling it “undemocratic”.

REFERENDUM FIRST: JAMAAT

Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher yesterday reiterated its demand that the government hold the referendum before the national polls, warning that any delay could endanger the July charter’s implementation.

The referendum and the election are of different nature — one concerns reform, the other state power, he said at a briefing at Jamaat’s central office in Moghbazar.

“Even if, for any reason, the national election cannot be held on time — though we believe it will, InshaAllah — the July charter must still be passed,” he said.

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar also called for an immediate announcement of the referendum date.

Speaking at a joint press conference at the Jatiya Press Club with eight allied parties, he said the commission’s report was vague because it stated only that the referendum could be held either on election day or earlier.

“Now the ball is in the government’s court,” he said. “It must decide.”

He added that those advocating for referendum on election day had a chance to “make their point”, but the responsibility now lay with Prof Yunus.

“As head of the interim government and the consensus commission, it is his duty to dispel the uncertainty hovering over the nation,” Porwar said. “Only he can clear the clouds from the political sky and give the country hope.”

IMPLEMENTATION FIRST: NCP

NCP Convener Nahid Islam said there was “no scope” for holding the national election unless the July charter was implemented.

“We also want a quick election. An elected government is necessary for stability in the country. Trust is also necessary, and for this reason, the reform process needs to be completed quickly,” he said at an event in Rangpur yesterday.

Nahid reiterated the NCP’s demand for a clear roadmap for the trials of those responsible for killings during the July uprising, reconstitution of the Election Commission, and assurance of a level playing field.

“The EC is losing the confidence of the public and political parties. These issues must be resolved quickly if an election is to be held in February,” he said.

He added that the next parliament would have the constituent power to draft the “reformed Constitution 2026”.

“If any obstruction or delay comes from the government’s side, it will have to face the people,” he warned.

Calling the current situation a “multidimensional crisis”, Nahid said corruption, extortion, land grabbing, and “social fascism” had re-emerged after August 5. “The only way forward is unity,” he said.

At a separate press conference, the party’s Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary alleged that the consensus commission had long been “Salahuddin’s commission” but the NCP has been “able to  make the commission regain its backbone”.

He accused the BNP of trying to “sabotage” the July charter and “bring back the Awami League”.

“For 15 years, they couldn’t shake Sheikh Hasina’s chair. By day they tried, by night they put it back,” he said.