Staff Reporter :
The National Consensus Commission (NCC) is moving to conclude the July Charter’s implementation framework before the extended one-month deadline, Vice Chairman Professor Ali Riaz said on Wednesday.
“I don’t think it will take a full month to decide. Expert advice has already been sought and we hope to see the implementation soon,” he told reporters after the third phase of meetings with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
The government on Tuesday extended the commission’s tenure until October 15, giving it additional time to secure political consensus.
Prof Riaz said the Chief Adviser, who chairs the commission, is “fully aware of all matters” and will be briefed on the latest progress before his departure for the United Nations General Assembly session on September 21.
He confirmed that a final draft of the charter has already been circulated among political parties, who in turn have proposed six possible approaches for implementation. These include pursuing a nationwide referendum or placing the matter before parliament.
“The commission’s expert panel categorised all suggestions into six parts. Some matters can be addressed through ordinances or executive orders, and we have urged the government to act swiftly,” Riaz explained. For constitutional reforms, he said, the panel recommended either a referendum or a special constitutional order.
“We can provide multiple suggestions to the government, allowing it to act more easily after reviewing legal and constitutional requirements,” he added.
The vice chairman also noted that political parties had been asked to nominate two representatives each to sign the charter, with most already complying. “We hope the government will take the necessary legal measures in this regard,” he said.
Wednesday’s session was attended by representatives of 30 political parties, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Ganosamhati Andolon and the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB).
The meeting was chaired by the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haider and attended by commission members Justice Md Emadul Haque, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, and Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar.
