BNP asks Supreme Court to break deadlock over July Charter implementation

BNP has softened its opposition to constitutional amendments via ordinances

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has urged the Supreme Court to give its opinion on the implementation of the July Charter, calling for legal guidance on the constitutional questions surrounding the process.

The discussions took place at the National Consensus Commission on Sunday, which included representatives from 30 political parties.

During the meeting, the leaders expressed their positions on how to proceed with the Charter’s implementation.

The Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) have supported amending the Constitution before implementing the July Charter, while the BNP has argued that no changes should be made to the Constitution without an elected parliament.

The BNP, however, has softened its previous stance against amendments through ordinances and now seeks the Supreme Court’s opinion on whether special constitutional orders could be used to implement the Charter.

NCP Secretary General Akhtar Hossain emphasised that reforms could be made through a Constituency Assembly election and the approval of new constitutional amendments.

He raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of changes to the Constitution without formal amendments and called for political consensus on the issue.

In contrast, Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad proposed two options for implementing the Charter: a provisional constitutional order or a national referendum.

He stressed that if political parties fail to agree, the people should have the final say through a referendum.

BNP’s Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed presented a new proposal, saying 826 reform suggestions had been received, with 745 of them achieving consensus.

He urged legal clarity from the Supreme Court on the constitutional aspects of the Charter and reiterated that once the legal questions were addressed, the party was ready to move forward with the implementation.

Muhammad Yunus, the head of the Consensus Commission, called for unity among the political parties and urged them to sign the July Charter. He said this was the only viable option to ensure a successful election and future political stability in the country.

“This is the only opportunity we have,” Yunus said. “We must accept this and move ahead together.”

In a final plea to political representatives, Yunus urged them to sign the Charter in agreement, reinforcing that the country could only progress if all parties united behind the July Charter's principles.