July Charter deal reached amid legal, PR row
Abu Jakir :
The National Consensus Commission has finalised a broad set of constitutional reform proposals under the draft “July National Charter 2025”, including the creation of a bicameral legislature, proportional representation (PR) in the upper house, secret balloting for presidential elections, and new constitutional provisions for appointments to oversight institutions.
However, the proposed reforms – intended to usher in structural democratic change – have deepened existing political divisions.
While some parties have cautiously endorsed the draft, others have expressed sharp reservations, raising concerns over the charter’s legitimacy,
enforceability, and timing.
Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz said decisions had been reached on 19 major points during the second phase of the dialogue with political parties.
“Some issues were resolved with noted dissent, but all consensus points will be reflected in the charter,” he told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy on the 23rd day of talks Despite this progress, political unrest has escalated.
For a second consecutive day, protesters under the July Warriors Council banner blocked the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka, disrupting traffic and calling for the immediate enactment of the charter.
They accused the government of delaying legal recognition of the charter and failing to honour the sacrifices made during the July uprising.
Among the most contentious elements of the draft is the plan to introduce proportional representation in a proposed 100-seat upper house. Under this system, seats would be allocated based on a party’s share of the national vote.
The BNP, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and the broader nationalist alliance have objected to this approach, demanding that representation in the upper house reflect lower house seats won rather than vote share. These parties have pledged to submit formal dissenting opinions.
Meanwhile, left-leaning parties such as CPB and BASAD, along with Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam, have rejected the concept of a second chamber altogether, favouring a unicameral system.
In contrast, parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, the Nationalist Citizens’ Party (NCP), Islami Andolon, the AB Party, and Gano Adhikar Parishad have supported the expansion of PR to both the upper house and reserved women’s seats.
Islami Andolon Bangladesh has criticised the commission for excluding proportional representation in the lower house, arguing that PR across both chambers is vital to dismantle authoritarianism.
“Proportional representation in both houses is the only way to eliminate autocracy,” said party Secretary General Maulana Yunus Ahmad at a review meeting in Dhaka on Friday. He warned that the party would pursue legal avenues if the charter is not enacted before the current government’s term ends.
The draft charter proposes that the president be elected by secret ballot through a joint vote of both chambers, with a simple majority deciding the outcome. It also seeks to prohibit candidates holding public or political office from standing for the presidency – a provision intended to ensure neutrality.
Additionally, the commission has recommended that appointments to bodies such as the Public Service Commission (PSC), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), and the Ombudsman be constitutionally mandated.
However, parties including the BNP and NDM have opposed these clauses, questioning their timing and legal scope.
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed described the charter as reflecting the people’s “sovereign aspirations” and asserted it should be implemented by the next parliament, not the current administration.
“It stands above legal frameworks. The next elected parliament should enact it within two years,” he said during a media briefing on Day 23 of the dialogue.
He confirmed that the BNP had approved a revised version of the charter and had agreed to all but 51 of the 826 reform proposals. “In 115 cases, we have accepted the points with differing opinions,” he added.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher warned that without legal implementation, the charter would remain “meaningless.” He threatened legal action against both the government and the commission, saying any delay would be “misleading the nation.”
NCP Secretary General Akhtar Hossain also stressed the need for clarity on the implementation mechanism. He noted that PR in the upper house is globally accepted and advocated for representation for parties winning even 1% of the vote.
The final draft of the July National Charter 2025 is expected to be released on 5 August. However, with rising political tensions, the potential for renewed legal and public confrontation looms large.
While the charter aims to forge a path toward democratic reform, unresolved questions around its enforcement and legitimacy may yet turn it into another flashpoint in Bangladesh’s complex political transition.