13th Parliament opens amid rift over July Charter

BNP favours partial implementation within constitutional framework while opposition pushes for full reform package within 180 days
The 13th parliament is set to hold its first session today (March 12) amid growing political and constitutional debate over how to implement the July National Charter, the reform blueprint that emerged from the 2024 mass uprising that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The July National Charter, which most political parties signed last year, was approved by 60.26 percent of voters.

Instead of the procedural calm that usually marks the beginning of a parliamentary term, the new legislature is entering office under unusual circumstances, with competing interpretations of the charter and differing views on how far Bangladesh’s political system should be restructured following last year’s upheaval.

The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which secured a commanding majority with 209 seats in the 350-member parliament, has indicated it intends to implement the charter only partially—focusing on recommendations that align with the existing constitution.

In contrast, the main opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, which holds 68 seats, and the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), with six lawmakers, are demanding full implementation of the July Charter within 180 days.

The disagreement has been compounded by an unprecedented development in the oath-taking process for lawmakers. Members of the ruling party have taken the standard oath as members of parliament.

However, opposition lawmakers—primarily from Jamaat and the NCP—have taken two separate oaths: one as parliamentarians and another as members of a proposed Constitution Reform Council.

The council was envisioned in the July Charter as a special body responsible for drafting and implementing constitutional reforms following the uprising.

The charter calls for sweeping institutional changes, including decentralization of the judiciary, electoral system reforms, and the creation of an upper house elected through proportional representation.

According to the charter, the council would require the backing of at least 60 members of parliament. With 77 lawmakers combined, the opposition bloc has already crossed that threshold and taken the oath necessary to form the body.

The ruling BNP, however, has declined to participate, arguing that the proposed council lacks legal standing under the current constitutional framework and that reforms should instead be processed through parliament itself.

The resulting situation has left the legislature entering its first session with two competing mandates: one grounded in the existing constitutional order and another based on the political commitments embodied in the July Charter.

Senior BNP leader and Home Affairs Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed has repeatedly said that his party remains committed to the charter’s political spirit.

He said constitutional reforms should be implemented through parliamentary procedures rather than through a separate body created outside the constitution.
“We are committed to the July charter as a document of political understanding,” he said during a discussion program at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday. “But reforms must be processed through parliament.”

Ahmed also noted that 133 ordinances issued during the tenure of the interim government must be placed before parliament during its first session. Lawmakers will decide whether those ordinances will be approved, amended, or allowed to lapse.

Meanwhile, a fresh legal challenge has added another layer of uncertainty to the unfolding political situation.

Several lawyers have filed a petition with the High Court questioning the legality of both the July Charter and the referendum that endorsed it.

The court has asked the authorities to explain why the charter and the referendum should not be declared illegal.

Opposition figures warn that such a ruling could have far-reaching consequences. Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir, who is associated with Jamaat, said invalidating the referendum could also raise questions about the legitimacy of the election itself, as both were held on the same day.

Political analysts say judicial involvement in the matter could deepen tensions. Asif Shahan, a professor at the University of Dhaka, cautioned that courts becoming entangled in political disputes could complicate rather than resolve the issue.

“Court involvement in political questions is always problematic,” he said, suggesting that the legislature should instead take the lead in determining the framework for reform.

Shahan added that the situation could be defused if parliament formally incorporated a reform mechanism into the constitutional structure and implemented provisions where political consensus already exists.

“If parliament passes a framework and implements at least the agreed reforms, that could calm tensions,” he said.

However, he warned that ignoring the charter’s commitments entirely could open the door for renewed political mobilization by the opposition.

Senior journalist and political analyst Ashraf Kaiser also warned that disregarding the spirit of the July uprising could escalate tensions in the long run.

“If the ruling party ignores the July Charter, political tensions may rise again in Bangladesh,” he said.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders are linking broader parliamentary cooperation to the full implementation of the charter. Jamaat has not yet confirmed whether it will accept the deputy speaker post offered by the BNP.

Speaking after a meeting of opposition lawmakers on Wednesday, Jamaat Ameer and opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman said his party was not interested in partial arrangements.

“The July Charter clearly states that one deputy speaker should come from the opposition,” he told reporters. “But we do not want a fragmented approach. We want the full package of reforms implemented.”

Rahman said opposition lawmakers had already taken both the parliamentary oath and the oath for the Constitution Reform Council, while the ruling party had only taken the parliamentary oath.

Calling on the government to respect the spirit of the uprising, he said: “Let us honor July. Ignoring the events of 2024 will not bring any good news for the nation.”

As parliament convenes today, the immediate legislative agenda will include the review of ordinances issued during the interim administration. Yet the deeper question—whether the July Charter will reshape the country’s constitutional architecture or remain largely symbolic—appears likely to dominate the early days of the new parliament.