BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has said that even if any party does not sign the July Charter, it will not affect the election.
Speaking to journalists, he said, “There is still time. I hope that within this time the remaining parties will sign the July Charter. In democracy, it is not that everyone will agree, that remains open. Differences of opinion may exist.”
He said this in response to a question after paying respects at the grave of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at Zia Udyan on Saturday morning.
He said, “The grave of Shaheed Zia is a symbol of independence and multi-party democracy. The effort to give democratic practice an institutional form has entered a new chapter through the July Charter.”
“If the charter is implemented, balance will return to the state’s power structure and the fundamental rights of citizens will be protected,” he added.
After eight months of dialogue by the National Consensus Commission aimed at state reform, representatives of 25 political parties and alliances took part in the signing ceremony of the ‘July National Charter 2025’ at the South Plaza of the National Parliament on Friday.
However, due to differing opinions, five parties including the National Citizen Party (NCP) and CPB did not sign it.
After the charter was signed, Chief Adviser of the interim government Muhammad Yunus said in his speech, “The July Charter will stand as an example in the world.” He said, “Today is our rebirth. By signing the July Charter, we have begun the new Bangladesh. Now it is our responsibility to follow this path correctly.”
In response to a question about whether the election could be affected as some parties including NCP have not yet signed the charter, Salahuddin Ahmed said, “The election is a constitutional arrangement, which does not depend on any specific charter.”
“In democracy, differences of opinion are normal, but the opportunity for discussion remains open for all parties,” he said.
Salahuddin Ahmed further said, “Public expectation has been created around the July Charter. Through political understanding and tolerance, it is possible to deal with the national crisis.”
According to him, this process of national consensus has created an opportunity to further strengthen democracy.
He said, “If mutual trust among political forces and an environment of dialogue are created, the country will be able to move forward on a stable democratic path.” He said BNP is working towards that goal.
