Discussions initiated with legal scholars to secure the legitimacy of the July Charter
The National Consensus Commission (NCC) is in the final stages of drafting the July National Charter 2025, with a focus on securing its legal binding nature and constitutional supremacy. The commission, led by Professor Ali Riaz and chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, has been actively discussing these matters with political parties and legal experts [1][2][3][5].
In an effort to establish a legal foundation for the charter, several parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh, have voiced their demand for a legal basis. As a result, the NCC has been holding talks with legal experts on making the charter legally binding [1][3].
Political parties are expected to pledge to implement the reform proposals of the charter within two years of forming a government post the next national elections. However, concerns about the implementation process lacking a legal basis have been raised by parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, leading to ongoing negotiations [2].
The NCC aims to secure constitutional and state recognition of democratic struggles and the 2024 anti-discrimination democratic movement. They propose that if any charter provision conflicts with the constitution or other laws, the charter shall prevail [1].
The NCC has successfully reached consensus on 19 key issues after multiple rounds of political party consultations and has extended its tenure by one month to finalize the charter [3][4].
Recent discussions, held at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Sunday, August 10th, included Retired Supreme Court justice MA Matin, Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury, Mohammad Ikramul Haque (Dean of the Faculty of Law at Dhaka University), Sharif Bhuiyan (Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court), Barrister Tanim Hossain Shawon, Barrister Imran Siddique, and Manir Haider (Chief Adviser's Special Assistant) [4].
These discussions were held in the context of finding ways to implement the July Charter, but no new information about the outcome or details of the discussions was provided. The NCC continues to prioritize completing the charter drafting before engaging fully in detailed discussions on implementation mechanisms.
As the NCC progresses towards finalizing the July Charter, updates and developments will be shared. Stay tuned for further news on this significant undertaking.
The National Consensus Commission (NCC) has been actively engaging with political parties and legal experts to ensure the July National Charter 2025 gains a legal basis and constitutional supremacy. As the legal foundation is important for the charter's implementation by political parties, concerns about the lack of legal basis have been raised, leading to ongoing negotiations.
