NN Online:
The National Consensus Commission resumed its ongoing dialogue with political parties on Thursday, marking the ninth day of the second phase of discussions aimed at reaching a national agreement on key state reforms and finalizing the much-anticipated ‘July Charter’.
The meeting commenced at 11:00 AM at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, with Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Dr. Ali Riaz presiding.
Commission members Justice Emdadul Haque, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, Dr. Md Ayub Mia, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Safar Raj Hossain, and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider were present at the session.
Representatives from 30 political parties took part in the discussions, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Gana Sanghati Andolon, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, and Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, among others.
According to commission sources, Thursday’s dialogue focused on three major reform issues: decentralisation of the judiciary, the scope of presidential clemency, and the process for declaring a state of emergency, in addition to follow-up discussions on unresolved topics from previous meetings.
In his opening remarks, Professor Ali Riaz urged participants to reflect on the path that led to this historic moment. “We must not forget the sacrifices that have brought us here,” he said. “Hundreds have suffered and struggled. That history should be our guide.”
“This is a rare opportunity,” he added. “In the last 53 years, we’ve never had a moment like this to collectively reform the state. We must not let it slip away through indifference or neglect.”
At yesterday’s (Wednesday) session—the eighth day of the second phase—Professor Riaz expressed optimism about the progress being made, stating that if the current pace continues, the July Charter could be announced by mid-July or in the third week of the month.
