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The much-anticipated announcement regarding the implementation of the July Charter may come as early as today. For this purpose, the government has called a press conference at 12 noon at the Chief Adviser’s Office. According to sources, the conference may not only reveal the plan for implementing the Charter but could also announce a referendum to be held on the same day as the national election.
Earlier, Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus convened a special meeting of the Advisory Council. Multiple senior government sources told that today’s meeting and press briefing may mark a major breakthrough in resolving the ongoing political impasse surrounding the July Charter and the proposed referendum. Behind the scenes, a ray of optimism has already begun to emerge as signs of consensus start to take shape.
Reliable sources indicate that, in addition to the July Charter’s implementation, a referendum announcement may also be made today. The government hopes that this move will also ease the growing conflict among political parties over the referendum and the Charter.
However, as of Sunday, top leaders of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the NCP continued trading barbs. None of the parties showed restraint; rather, they blamed one another for the political stalemate. The main contention now revolves around the Notes of Dissent submitted by various political parties against the decisions of the Consensus Commission.
Out of the 84 proposals in the July Charter, 61 carry one or more Notes of Dissent. Among the 20 core proposals, the BNP has objections to nine. Sources further suggest that while Jamaat-e-Islami has voiced strong objections, it is expected to eventually agree to holding the referendum on election day.
Some Notes of Dissent are complete, while others are partial. For example, all parties agreed on forming an Upper House in Parliament but the Commission decided that it should be established through a Proportional Representation (PR) system — a point to which the BNP strongly objected.
The Charter also proposes a balance of power between the President and the Prime Minister, stipulating that the appointments of the Bangladesh Bank Governor, the heads of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Public Service Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General, Law Commission, and Energy Regulatory Commission should be made by the President through a special search committee, without the Prime Minister’s recommendation. The BNP objected to this as well.
Another Commission decision states that the same individual cannot simultaneously serve as head of government, head of party, and leader of parliament, and that lawyers cannot be affiliated with any political party. The BNP opposed both of these proposals.
On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami objected to the proposed financial autonomy of local government bodies, arguing that allowing local administrators to work under elected representatives could disrupt bureaucratic balance. The Islami Andolan (Char Monai) and Khilafat Nizam-e-Islam parties opposed a proposal concerning reserved women’s seats in parliament. The NCP, however, raised no objections to any proposal.
In a recent event, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accused the Consensus Commission of deceiving the nation. He claimed that the Commission had altered parts of the Charter after the parties signed it. Furthermore, the BNP’s Notes of Dissent were not included in the final version of the July Charter.
He added that all parties had agreed to remove the constitutional provision mandating the display of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s portrait in government offices and courts, but the Commission later retained it. Moreover, the clause stating that if Parliament fails to finalize constitutional amendments within 270 days, the Commission’s recommendations would automatically be incorporated into the Constitution was inserted without BNP’s consent or discussion.
Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Nayeb-e-Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, countered that the BNP’s Notes of Dissent reflected a latent authoritarian tendency within the party. According to him, “BNP secretly nurtures a desire to return to authoritarian rule, while we and others are trying to prevent that.”
He emphasized that “31 political parties have united in favor of reform. The BNP voluntarily signed the Charter; no one forced them. They did so happily — almost in a festive mood. Now they are backing away. But for the sake of Bangladesh’s democracy and development, reform is indispensable, and we will not compromise.” He reaffirmed Jamaat’s demand that the referendum be held before the national election.
At a separate event on Sunday, NCP Convener Nahid Islam criticized both BNP and Jamaat, saying: “One party is trying to sabotage reforms, while the other is attempting to delay the election.”
He argued that the BNP opposed the reform process from the very beginning by filing Notes of Dissent on fundamental issues, raising doubts about its sincerity toward reform. Meanwhile, Jamaat’s activities, he said, have created suspicion that it might be trying to postpone the polls.
Nahid Islam further noted that BNP and Jamaat have even clashed over whether the referendum should precede the election or coincide with it. “The real issue,” he said, “is how the legal framework of the Charter and its reforms will be structured, and whether Professor Yunus will issue an executive order to that effect. Once there’s agreement on these matters, the referendum can be held either on election day or before it — but we don’t want to see conflict between BNP and Jamaat over this.”
The July Charter contains 84 reform proposals, including 48 constitutional amendments. A total of 25 political parties, including BNP and Jamaat, have signed the Charter. On October 28, the Consensus Commission submitted its implementation recommendations to the Chief Adviser.
According to the recommendations, the Charter will be implemented in three phases:
9 proposals through executive orders,
27 through ordinances,
and 48 through a national referendum.
The next parliament will serve two main roles: as a Constitutional Reform Council and as a regular legislative assembly. The Commission recommended that the new parliament must complete the constitutional amendments within 270 days of its first session. If it fails to do so, the Charter’s proposals will automatically become part of the Constitution.
Within 45 days thereafter, an Upper House will be established under the Proportional Representation (PR) system — with no Notes of Dissent from any party being considered.
Finally, the government will issue an order based on the July People’s Uprising, officially titled:
“The July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025.”
