Staff Reporter :
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Thursday rejected Jamaat-e-Islami’s proposal to give the July National Charter constitutional recognition through an executive order, saying that a state cannot be governed by emotion.
“Some are suggesting that the Chief Adviser can now enact a law or issue an order reflecting the people’s aspirations expressed during the July uprising. That’s a revolutionary and emotional statement. But a state doesn’t run on emotions-it runs according to laws, rules, and regulations,” he said at a seminar.
Salahuddin said he had heard on Wednesday that the “National Charter” could be issued through an extra-constitutional order and that the Chief Adviser possessed the authority to do so. “But as the head of government, the Chief Adviser has no such power under our Constitution,” he asserted.
He explained that laws can only be made with cabinet approval, and in the absence of parliament, the president may promulgate ordinances. “The government’s executive authority extends only to issuing administrative notifications or gazette circulars,” he added.
The BNP leader urged political parties not to advance proposals that may give people a false sense of progress regarding the July National Charter but lack a solid legal foundation.
He warned that attempts to issue an extra-constitutional order could spark unnecessary controversy. “We must avoid emotional politics and ensure that no such confusion arises in the future,” Salahuddin cautioned.
Citing Article 152 of the Constitution, he said: “The hierarchy of laws begins with the Constitution, followed by acts of Parliament, presidential ordinances, orders, and finally, rules and regulations.”
The remarks came at a seminar titled “Education and Employment in the Minds of Youth in Post-2024 Bangladesh,” organised by the University Teachers Association of Bangladesh (UTAB) at the Jatiya Press Club.
On Wednesday, Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher had told reporters that during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at Jamuna, Jamaat proposed that the July National Charter could be given constitutional recognition through an executive order. Taher described the proposal as an “extra-constitutional but exceptional measure,” suggesting that the Chief Adviser, not the President, could issue the order if legally permissible.
Salahuddin also commented that a political party which earlier skipped the Charter’s signing ceremony is now seeking to join it.
“Yesterday, a political party claimed that BNP has finally agreed to hold a referendum on implementing the July National Charter under public pressure. In truth, the idea of a referendum came from BNP itself,” he said.
He added that all but two parties had agreed to BNP’s referendum proposal. “I won’t name them,” he said. “But one of those parties attended the signing ceremony, while the other is now looking for an opportunity to sign the Charter with some additional conditions.”
Salahuddin said discussions are ongoing, expressing hope that a reasonable solution will eventually be reached.
The July Charter was signed on 17 October, though the National Citizen Party (NCP) did not attend the event.
Emphasising the need for a change in mindset to implement the Charter and the proposed reforms, Salahuddin said, “The nation now needs mental reform. We have already discussed legal and constitutional reforms in the Consensus Commission, but without a transformation in mindset, even the best reforms will remain unimplemented.”
