The National Consensus Commission (NCC) has called an emergency meeting with political parties and alliances on Wednesday evening, just two days ahead of the scheduled signing of the much-discussed July Charter.
According to a letter signed by the Commission’s vice-chairman, Professor Ali Riaz, the urgent meeting will be held at 6pm at the Foreign Service Academy.
Each political party and alliance has been asked to send a single representative, although the letter did not specify the meeting’s agenda.
Confirming receipt of the invitation, Bangladesh Labour Party Chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran told the media on Wednesday afternoon, “We have received the letter regarding the emergency meeting.”
The interim government is preparing to formally sign the July Charter at the South Plaza of the National Parliament on Friday. Ahead of that, on Tuesday evening, the commission sent the finalised draft of the July Charter to 32 political parties and one alliance.
The 40-page document outlines 84 specific reform proposals on 17 key areas of state reform, finalised with full consensus among the participating political parties. Of these, 47 points require constitutional amendments, while the remaining 37 can be implemented through laws, ordinances, regulations, or executive orders.
However, 67 other proposed points faced opposition or received “notes of dissent” from various parties.
The charter begins with a background section explaining the reform context and the commission’s activities, followed by the detailed list of reforms and spaces for parties to sign their commitment.
On Tuesday night, the National Citizen Party (NCP) held a separate meeting with the commission, where it reportedly took a firm stance. Party representatives warned that they would not sign the charter unless reforms are carried out through a “constitutional order.”
The NCP claimed that while they had made concessions during earlier discussions, they are now unwilling to compromise, especially on constitutional reforms. They are also pushing to reopen discussions on key reform points.
Meanwhile, uncertainty looms over whether Jamaat-e-Islami will sign the July Charter, as the document does not specify a clear implementation roadmap. Party sources said a decision is yet to be made, with an internal meeting expected later Wednesday night to finalise their position.
A source within the Consensus Commission confirmed that the emergency meeting will discuss whether parties are ready to sign the charter and explore possible implementation strategies. The meeting is expected to be broadcast live on BTV News.
Speaking to a media, Commission Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz said, “An emergency meeting with political parties will be held this evening. Prior to that, the commission will also meet with the chief adviser.”
