Despite intense efforts by the National Consensus Commission (NCC) to bring parties together, the July National Charter signing ceremony is being held Friday amid clear political divisions and uncertainty over who will actually sign.
The signing ceremony—scheduled for Friday at the South Plaza of the National Parliament—was intended as a festive show of unity. Instead, frustration and bitterness dominate among the parties that took part in the July Movement.
Amid this, the interim government on Thursday extended the NCC’s tenure until 31 October which has raised questions about whether the commission has already failed to ensure implementation of the charter within its stipulated time.
However, NCC Vice-President Ali Riaz said Thursday evening that preparations for the signing ceremony were complete. He added that the commission would recommend the government to provide a legal framework during the extended period, saying, “We want the government to complete the process of establishing the legal basis for the July Charter while the commission is still in office.”
Riaz said if any party doesn’t sign the charter today it will be able to sign its later.
The NCC sent letters inviting the parties to the ceremony, and many were still receiving invitations as late as Thursday night.
Divisions among the parties remained visible even in the final hours before the signing ceremony. Therefore, on Wednesday, the NCC held yet another meeting with political parties in the presence of its chairman and chief adviser, Dr Muhammad Yunus. But the parties again stood firm on their respective positions. Despite that, the chief adviser reiterated that the July Charter would be signed on schedule and that the national election would be held in February.
Still, the unresolved disagreements have fuelled fears that disputes over the July Charter could eventually complicate or delay the upcoming general election.
The key points of contention remain the timing of the referendum and whether to adopt the proportional representation (PR) system.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has submitted a note of dissent in the upper house over the PR system and wants the referendum and parliamentary election to be held on the same day. On these two issues, Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party (NCP), Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and several others stand on the opposite side.
The NCP has declared it will not join the signing ceremony unless the charter is given a clear legal foundation. At a press conference on Thursday, party convener Nahid Islam reiterated this stance, also urging the BNP to withdraw its note of dissent on the PR issue.
Later at night, NCP senior joint convener Ariful Islam Adeeb told TIMES of Bangladesh that his party might still attend the ceremony if the government guarantees a legal basis for the document.
Meanwhile, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said that while his party would attend the event, it had yet to decide whether to sign.
Party insiders said both Jamaat and Islami Andolan were divided on the issue, as were several Islamist allies including Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan, and a faction of Khelafat Majlis. Similarly, like-minded parties such as the National Democratic Party (JAGPA) and Nizam-e- Islam Party are likely to follow Jamaat’s position.
Four left-leaning parties—Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Socialist Party of Bangladesh (BASAD), Bangladesh JASAD, and Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist)— have already announced they will not sign, arguing that the charter does not mention the four fundamental principles of the Constitution. Gano Forum will not also sign the charter.
On Tuesday, the NCC sent the final copy of the charter to 30 parties and alliances, but the document lacked a clear implementation mechanism. Except for the BNP and its allies, most parties expressed strong dissatisfaction over this omission.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed are expected to sign on behalf of the party, reportedly along with their note of dissent.
From Jamaat, Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher and Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar may sign if the party finalises its stance.
NCC has spent the last two weeks trying to bring the parties together. The signing ceremony, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed to Friday to allow more time for consensus-building. During this time, the commission held several rounds of informal talks with the political parties. But the rifts persist. Out of 30 parties took part in talks, 17 parties may sign the charter today.
Since its formation in February, it has held 67 meetings with political parties. Through those discussions, it secured agreement—some with notes of dissent—on 84 reform proposals that now form the foundation of the July National Charter.
