The final draft of the July Charter is nearly complete and will soon be sent to political parties for feedback, Professor Ali Riaz, vice-chairman of the National Consensus Commission, has confirmed.
Speaking at a press conference at the Parliament Building’s LD Hall on Friday, Riaz stated that the document would be sent to political parties shortly for their opinions.
“We will hold another meeting next week to review their feedback. I hope the timeline for implementation will not be prolonged,” he said.
Riaz explained that the first draft of the charter, sent on July 28, received responses from most of the parties. Out of 166 proposals, consensus had been reached on 62. In the second round of discussions, agreement was reached on 19 of 20 additional proposals.
When asked about the nature of the upcoming election, Riaz clarified, “The decision regarding how the election will be conducted is not for the commission to make. This is the responsibility of the political parties and the government. Our task is to prepare a national charter.”
Regarding the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) note of dissent, Riaz emphasized that the commission was focused on its work and was willing to continue discussions. However, he clarified that the responsibility for implementation does not lie with the commission.
He further commented on the state of elections over the past 14-15 years, stating, “The electoral system has collapsed during the previous years. Now, everyone wants a free and fair election. If we work together, it will be achievable.”
On the commission’s expenditure, Riaz clarified that they do not incur independent expenses. “The expenses fall under the Parliament Secretariat and are audited by the government,” he added.
The press conference was also attended by commission members Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, Badiul Alam Majumdar, Safar Raj Hossain, Md Ayub Mia, and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, Monir Haydar.