NCP warns July Charter to fail sans constitutional backing

Staff Reporter :

The National Citizens’ Party (NCP) has warned that the much-discussed July Charter will not embody the people’s aspirations for freedom unless it is granted a firm legal foundation and implemented in practice.

At a press conference held on Saturday afternoon at the party’s temporary office in Banglamotor, Dhaka, NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain expressed concern over the ongoing debates surrounding the draft of the July Charter. The briefing was arranged to present the party’s observations on the proposed document.

“The July Charter will fail if the Commission does not propose a new constitution through a Constituent Assembly election, ensuring its inclusion in the constitutional framework,” Hossain said. He added that without such legal anchoring, signing onto the charter would be meaningless for the NCP.

Criticizing the Commission for deviating from the recommendations of the National Constitutional Council (NCC), Hossain said that NCP had already made concessions in the interest of consensus by agreeing to modified proposals. “But now we see confusion being created over how the agreed issues will be implemented. I urge the Commission to ensure proper execution of the decisions that have already been taken,” he noted.

Emphasizing the need for a new constitution, the NCP leader argued that only a freshly framed charter would prevent judicial challenges. “If we incorporate the reform proposals into a new constitution, no court can strike them down. That is why the adoption of a new constitution is crucial,” he stressed.

Hossain also raised doubts over how sincerely the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accepted the reform agenda embedded in the July Charter. He called on all political parties to reach a genuine consensus to safeguard the people’s aspirations.

The July Charter, born out of the country’s July Uprising last year, has been at the center of national debate as the Commission seeks to finalize its framework for state reform. While several political groups have pledged conditional support, disagreements over legal enforceability and constitutional procedure remain unresolved.