Time Running out for Consensus: Parties divided as Charter talks enter final phase
Abu Jakir :
The National Consensus Commission (NCC) is entering the final phase of its six-month mandate with political parties still divided over 25 major reform issues, leaving limited time to finalise the much-anticipated “July Charter” – a blueprint for wide-ranging state reforms following years of political instability.
Established in mid-February under the interim administration of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, the commission was tasked with securing agreement among 30 political parties on reform proposals drawn up by 11 separate bodies. These cover constitutional changes, electoral reforms, judicial restructuring, public administration, and the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The aim was to deliver a single, agreed document – the July Charter – by last month. However, with the commission’s term due to expire on 15 August and no final text in place, negotiators are working intensively to bridge the remaining gaps.
“We will meet again this week, first with experts and then in a third round with political parties, to finalise both the Charter and its implementation process,” commission vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz said on Friday. “The goal remains consensus, even if it requires compromise.”
The commission has circulated multiple drafts, the latest sent to parties on 28 July. While there is broad agreement on several points, disagreements persist over when and how reforms should be enacted.
The current draft proposes that the next elected government implement the agreed reforms within its first two years in office – a timeline acceptable to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) but opposed by Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP).
Both argue that delaying reforms until after elections risks indefinite postponement or reversal, and call for measures to be enacted by the interim government itself, with legal or constitutional guarantees in place before voters go to the polls.
BNP leaders say they are ready to sign the Charter immediately but acknowledge some parties seek legal assurances on implementation. They argue that non-constitutional reforms could be introduced now through ordinances and executive orders, while constitutional amendments would require approval from the Jatiya Sangsad.
According to sources, the 25 outstanding matters include whether Election Commission reforms should be made via constitutional amendment or executive order, the timetable for introducing proportional representation in parliamentary polls, mechanisms for judicial accountability, The appointment process for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), civil service recruitment and promotion rules and role of caretaker arrangements in future elections.
In several cases, differences centre on scope rather than principle – for example, while most parties agree on strengthening the Anti-Corruption Commission, they remain divided over whether its commissioners should be appointed by the president, parliament, or a judicial panel.
