Staff Reporter :
Expressing concern over the growing political rift regarding the implementation of the July National Charter, the Advisory Council of the interim government has urged all political parties to hold immediate talks among themselves and provide unified guidance to the government within a week.
The directive came from an emergency meeting of the Advisory Council held on Monday at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
“If the parties fail to do so, the government will move forward with its own decision,” Law Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul told the reporters.
Dr Asif Nazrul briefed the press after the meeting, where Advisers Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan and Adilur Rahman Khan, as well as Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, were present.
The council met amid heightened disagreement among major political parties following last week’s submission of reform recommendations by the National Consensus Commission.
The Commission proposed that the constitutional reforms outlined in the July Charter be implemented through a special executive order, followed by a national referendum.
If the referendum approves the proposals, the next Parliament would act as a constitutional reform assembly and complete the amendments within 270 days.
However, the Commission left the timing of the referendum to the government’s discretion—whether it should be held alongside the national election or beforehand.
Since then, parties have taken sharply opposing positions, prompting Monday’s emergency meeting.
At the press briefing, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said the Advisory Council discussed the July Charter, the constitutional reform process, and the proposed referendum.
“Despite prolonged discussions, significant differences remain over some of the proposed reforms,” he noted. “The Council expressed concern over disagreements regarding July Charter the referendum’s timing and content.”
He said the meeting concluded that urgent decisions must now be taken on the referendum schedule, its agenda, and how to handle the differing views within the July Charter framework.
“We have called on our long-standing allies in the anti-fascist movement to engage in dialogue and present unified guidance to the government—preferably within a week,” he said. “Such guidance will greatly facilitate the government’s decision-making.”
Nazrul added that the Council agreed there is no room for delay given the current political situation.
He reaffirmed the interim government’s commitment to holding the next parliamentary election in the first half of February next year.
A journalist asked whether the government would arrange a dialogue for the political parties.
In response, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said the government had already held numerous discussions and would not organize any new ones.
He added that the anti-fascist political parties have made many decisions through dialogue over the past 15 years, stood together during difficult times, and faced persecution.
“The government expects that they will now hold discussions among themselves and present a unified direction,” he said.
