Despite the much-publicised signing of the July National Charter, confusion and uncertainty continue to cloud its implementation amid violent clashes and a boycott by six political parties, including the student-led National Citizen Party.
Experts warn that the absence of a clear roadmap for implementation has deepened doubts and could fuel another round of political instability.
After weeks of tension and behind-the-scenes negotiations, 24 political parties finally signed the July Charter on Friday in the presence of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
“Today marks our rebirth. Through this signing, we have initiated a new Bangladesh,” Yunus declared at the ceremony.
However, critics view the development as a power-sharing compromise between the government and the major political parties rather than a genuine reform effort.
Professor Dilara Choudhury, former head of the Government and Politics Department at Jahangirnagar University, stressed the need to incorporate the July Charter into the Constitution to ensure its permanence.
“This must be incorporated into the Constitution so that no one can nullify it later. If it is cancelled in the future, participants in the uprising will lose legal protection. Therefore, immunity for them is essential,” she told TIMES of Bangladesh.
Professor Chowdhury also criticised the last-minute amendment to Clause 5 of the Charter, made amid protests by the “July warriors” outside Parliament.
“What was the National Consensus Commission (NCC) doing all these months? Did they not realise that those currently in power stand on the blood of others, yet no legal safeguards were included for those individuals?” she asked pointedly.
She cautioned that failure to implement the Charter would make both Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and the major political parties accountable.
“BNP and Jamaat have played with people’s emotions,” she said sharply. “Jamaat, in particular, has turned this entire process into a political game.”
Expressing scepticism, Supreme Court senior lawyer Abu Hena Razzaki noted that the Charter’s signatories represented only a handful of individuals from the two dominant parties.
“Essentially, four people have spoken on behalf of 180 million citizens. It’s eyewash—each party is pursuing its own agenda,” he said.
Razzaki added that the government aims to step down by February, but political friction remains.
“If the government avoids discussing elections, the major parties will resist. The chief adviser seems to be seeking a safe exit. Knowing the charter won’t be implemented, he has still chosen to proceed,” he said.
