Staff Reporter:
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Thursday accused the Chief Adviser of violating the July National Charter through the way he outlined its implementation in his televised address to the nation.
“The Chief Adviser himself was a signatory to the July Charter. But in his speech, he went beyond the agreed provisions, adding issues that were never included in the signed document,” Salahuddin told journalists in his immediate reaction to Prof Yunus’ address.
“If we compare his speech with the original charter, it becomes evident that he has clearly breached it. That’s all I want to say for now,” the BNP leader added.
Earlier in the day, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus announced that the national election and the referendum on the July Charter would be held on the same day.
In his address to the nation, the Chief Adviser said the Council of Advisers had approved the July National Charter (Constitution Amendment) Implementation Order, 2025. “To implement the July Charter, this order introduces several key provisions – including holding a referendum on the constitutional amendment proposals of the charter, followed by the formation of a Constitution Reform Council,” he said.
A senior BNP leader said that while the party welcomes the decision to hold the election and referendum simultaneously, it has serious reservations about the implementation order and the nature of the proposed referendum.
He added that the Standing Committee – the party’s highest policymaking body – will discuss these issues in detail and decide on the next course of action.
