'July Charter Implementation Guaranteed'

Dismissing claims of political foot-dragging, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday affirmed that the government remains fully pledged to implementing the July National Charter 2025 "word by word," while accusing certain political quarters of spreading unfounded rumors.

"Some political parties are attempting to sow confusion across the political field through propaganda alleging that the BNP is reluctant to implement the July National Charter because it holds a majority in Parliament. This is completely untrue," Ahmed told journalists following the second sitting of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Constitutional Amendment at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Ahmed, who chairs the parliamentary panel, noted that the committee sought broad cooperation from all stakeholders during the discussions.

"We have stated clearly that we will implement the July National Charter verbatim. In line with the charter signed by political parties, we will endeavor to enact the requisite constitutional amendments as swiftly as possible," he added.

As part of the panel's initiative to gather stakeholder feedback on constitutional reforms, invitations were extended to all 26 political parties that signed the July Charter. Of those invited, 15 attended in person, while one submitted written proposals regarding implementation.

The proceedings were nevertheless marked by key boycotts. Main opposition party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) were among those that abstained. Simultaneously, an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami formally rejected the parliamentary route. Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar presented a joint statement denouncing the pursuit of constitutional changes through a special parliamentary panel rather than implementing the agreed-upon charter reforms and public mandate established in the February 12 referendum.

Reaffirming the administration's stance, Ahmed reiterated that the government is bound to execute the charter precisely as signed. He added that the BNP's electoral manifesto contained additional pledges beyond the charter, which received a public mandate and will be incorporated into the upcoming 18th Constitutional Amendment.

The committee plans to conduct extensive consultations across civil society, including political entities, charter authors, constitutional experts, members of the judiciary, the Supreme Court Bar Association, National Press Club representatives, anti-discrimination student leaders, July movement participants, martyrs' families, and academic groups.

To maintain momentum, the committee intends to convene weekly to complete its report promptly.

Addressing notes of dissent submitted regarding specific charter provisions-such as the operational framework for a proposed 100-seat upper chamber-Ahmed emphasized that dissenting views would be respected.

"We have promised to implement the July National Charter alongside the notes of dissent," he said, noting that while consensus exists on creating a 100-member upper house, opinions differ on whether seats should be allocated based on parliamentary seats won or proportional vote share.

Ahmed confirmed that report preparation is underway and will be tabled in Parliament to enable the Ministry of Law to draft the formal constitutional amendment bill.

Clarifying reports of a walkout by Rastro Songskar Andolan, Ahmed noted that its delegates attended, shared their perspectives, and then departed, while confirming that written inputs were received from the Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party).