July Charter signatories not bound by decisions beyond its scope: BNP to govt

NN ONLINE:

Urging the interim government to act carefully amid the ongoing political deadlock, BNP on Tuesday said the signatories to the July National Charter are not bound to follow any decision that goes beyond what is stated in the charter.

“We want to make it clear that if the government announces any decision beyond what is outlined in the July National Charter, none of the signatory parties will be obligated to comply with it,” said BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.

Speaking at a press conference, he also said if the government makes such a decision, all responsibility and liability will rest solely with it. “We urge the government to take cautious and responsible steps in this regard.” The press conference was held at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office to brief the media on the party’s Standing Committee meeting held on Monday night.

Mosharraf said the July National Charter was signed on October 17, following nearly a year of discussions between the National Consensus Commission and various political parties.

He said the charter was prepared based on consensus, with a few notes of dissent, and all parties pledged to implement it in line with the country’s Constitution and laws. The BNP leader said some advisers of the interim government have recently made remarks about announcing certain government decisions outside the framework of the July National Charter.

“Such statements are misleading and amount to ignoring the consensus-based decisions adopted earlier,” he said. BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed and Hafizuddin Ahmed were present at the press conference.