The National Consensus Commission (NCC) is scheduled to dispatch the final copy of the July National Charter to political parties on Tuesday.
The Charter document will not contain any specific recommendations concerning the methods or strategies for implementing the proposed reforms.
The NCC intends to submit these implementation-related proposals separately to the interim government and the parties at a later date; they will therefore not be incorporated into the main Charter.
The formal signing ceremony for the Charter is slated for next Friday at the South Plaza of the National Parliament. Preparations for the event are already underway, with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs providing support to the NCC. The Commission has planned to invite approximately three thousand guests to witness the signing.
A total of 30 political parties and alliances have been invited to affix their signatures to the document.
In advance, the Commission had asked the parties to nominate two signatories each, and all 30 invited entities have already submitted these names. However, whether every invited party will ultimately sign the Charter remains uncertain.
Commission sources have clarified that no further opinions will be solicited from political parties regarding this final version of the Charter. The document being sent out is essentially the final form of the draft that was previously circulated on 11 September, featuring only minor linguistic corrections and no changes to the core substance.
Regarding the repeal of Article 4A of the Constitution – which pertains to the display of the portrait of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – the NCC had sought party opinions, with nearly all expressing support for its removal. Nevertheless, this particular issue is not being included in the final Charter; the decision will be reserved for the next parliament.
The July National Charter is structured into three distinct sections: The Background of the Charter, the 84 Reform Proposals, and the 7-Point Commitment detailing the pledge for the Charter’s implementation.
The signing of the Charter was previously held up because the method of implementation had yet to be finalised.
As previously communicated by the Commission, the implementation procedures were never intended to be part of the Charter itself.
While the implementation recommendations are still pending finalisation, the NCC is optimistic that they will be submitted to the government before the signing ceremony on Friday.
After assuming office, the interim government initiated a broad push for reforms across key state sectors. The initial phase involved establishing six separate commissions dedicated to reforming the Constitution, the Electoral System, Public Administration, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Police, and the Judiciary. The NCC subsequently engaged with political parties to discuss the proposals generated by these six commissions.
The dialogue process spanned two phases: 33 parties participated in the first round of discussions, followed by 30 parties in the second. Following extensive negotiations held between February and July, the participants reached a consensus and made decisions on 84 reform proposals.
The July National Charter is the result of this comprehensive agreement.
