National Consensus Commission to Submit Final Recommendations on July Charter

The National Consensus Commission plans to submit its final recommendations to the interim government within this month on how to implement the July National Charter, signed last Friday by 24 political parties and alliances in the presence of Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus at the South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Commission sources said, discussions are ongoing over two possible routes either to place the entire Charter for a national referendum through a special executive order, or to implement some proposals through the order and the rest via referendum.

Although political parties agree on holding a referendum, differences remain on its basis, timing, and procedure. The BNP supports issuing a government notification followed by a referendum on the same day as the national election, while Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) want the referendum to precede the election, with the next parliament empowered to act as both a constitutional reform body and legislature.

The commission believes that to ensure sustainable reforms, the next parliament must be granted constituent powers, as the Charter proposes major amendments to the Constitution’s basic structure. Gano Forum is expected to sign the Charter soon, while NCP, CPB, BSD, BSD (Marxist), and JASAD have yet to sign, though informal talks continue.

Commission vice-chairman Prof. Ali Riaz said a draft recommendation has already been prepared and will be finalized after consultations with legal experts and political parties.