National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhter Hossen on Saturday said that the NCP will not sign the July Charter until the government clearly presents both the official order and the roadmap for its implementation before the nation.
He also said that some political forces are trying to turn the July Charter into a “mere formal document” instead of ensuring its implementation.
He said, “We will not proceed with steps like a referendum or signing unless we receive full assurance from the government regarding the order. The NCP will be willing to sign the charter only after a guarantee of its implementation is secured.”
He was speaking at a press conference after a meeting with the National Consensus Commission this afternoon.
“If the government wants, preparations for a referendum can be completed within a specified timeframe. But before that, it is essential to clarify the contents of the implementation order or directive.”
He emphasised, “If the Charter is signed without implementation, the nation will be deprived of the desired change. For us, signing is not the goal, instead its effective implementation is truly a matter.”
In order to implement the charter, the draft and scope of the implementation order must first be made public. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus must take the responsibility of issuing that order as a symbol of the people’s sovereign will. Also, based on the July Charter, a referendum should empower the next parliament to draft a new constitution, which must be promulgated by 2026, according to the NCP.
In the meeting, the Commission informed the NCP that it is working on formulating an implementation order for the July Charter, though the full text of that order has not yet been made public.
Regarding the issue, NCP leader Akhter said, “The directive must not remain merely a document like the July Declaration. It must be implementable in a manner that aligns with the expectations of the nation.”
On the issue of the Note of Dissent, he said, “After a decision is made, any party may express its differing opinion, and that can be documented. But if the ‘Note of Dissent’ itself has to be implemented, then the main decision of the Commission loses its meaning.”
“Those who demand the implementation of the “Note of Dissent” are trying to mislead the public and influence the reform process for partisan interests,” he added.
About the NCP’s positive stance on the RPO amendment, the leader said the party views the parliamentary issues included in the RPO amendment positively.
He also said, “We have observed that after the RPO (Amendment) was introduced, the BNP announced that it would withdraw from its previous position and appeal to the law adviser to nullify the amendment. But the law adviser is not part of this process. We believe that due to certain personal relationships within the government, this step is being taken to serve the interests of a particular group, which we find inappropriate.”
“If the government withdraws the amendment proposal under pressure from any party, it will appear that the government is moving toward a power transfer, which cannot in any way be considered a normal process,” he added.
Regarding the party’s organisational structure, he stated that the NCP has now formed effective committees at the district, upazila (subdistrict), and union levels across the country.
He said, “Our team is collecting information on potential candidates, and very soon we will publish a constituency-wise list of nominees.”
On the issue of alliance politics, he also said, “We have not yet entered into any formal alliance with any party. However, we remain open to forming an electoral coalition if necessary.”
