July Charter to reach final phase within 2-3 days: Ali Riaz

The long-anticipated July Charter is entering its final stages, with just days left before a draft is finalized, said Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission (NCC), on Saturday.

Addressing the opening of 20th day of second-phase dialogue between political parties and NCC at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Prof Riaz expressed confidence that the historic charter will take final shape within the next two to three days.

“With continued cooperation from all parties, we hope to reach the final process of the charter very soon,” he said. “We are making constant revisions based on discussions to ensure agreement on core issues.”

So far, consensus has been reached on 12 major topics, while two remain under debate. Despite existing differences, Riaz remained optimistic. “Everyone is willing to compromise. That gives us hope that consensus is possible on all fronts,” he added.

He emphasized that these discussions are not just procedural but essential to reshaping the country’s political framework. “We must resolve these matters to ensure long-term structural reform. One of the key issues is the caretaker government—this needs a clear framework to prevent future instability,” he said.

The commission, which has been facilitating multi-party dialogue for weeks, is planning to distribute a draft of the July Charter to participating parties during today’s session.

Key items on the day’s agenda include reforms related to the appointment processes of the Public Service Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Auditor General, and the Ombudsman, along with proposals to ensure women’s representation in Parliament.

“This charter will serve as a national document—a roadmap for the future. We may not be able to include every issue, but we’re focusing on what’s essential to state reform,” Prof Riaz noted.

He encouraged party representatives to continue their engagement with the same level of commitment. “We are close. Let’s move forward together to create something historic,” he urged.

The day’s meeting brought together representatives from 30 political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Gana Sanghati Andolon, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, and Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), among others.

Several members of the Commission—including Justice Emdadul Haque, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Dr Md Ayub Mia, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, and Safar Raj Hossain—were present at the session, along with Monir Haider, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser.

The July Charter aims to outline fundamental reforms to Bangladesh’s state institutions, democratic practices, and governance structure, offering a common platform for political forces to shape the country’s future together.