MD ABBAS

The government is likely to issue the July Proclamation by August 5, in which it will recognise the fall of Awami League regime in the face of a mass uprising last year.

A reliable source told The Daily Star that the government earlier this month sent a draft of the July Proclamation to several political parties, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the NCP and requested feedback.

Based on their responses, a final draft has been prepared and resubmitted to the parties for their final opinions within the next couple of days.

The BNP had proposed that the July Proclamation be annexed as the Fourth Schedule of the constitution. While that demand may not be fully adopted, the proclamation will contain a paragraph recognising the mass uprising as a legitimate transformation of power, the source said.

The NCP supports incorporating the entire proclamation into the constitution’s preamble, while Jamaat backs the idea of granting constitutional legitimacy to the July uprising.

According to leaders of the parties involved, the proclamation contains 27 key clauses.

In the first draft sent to the parties, it was mentioned that the Awami League was overthrown under the “leadership” of the Students Against Discrimination, to which the BNP objected.

In the second draft, the term “leadership” was changed with “call”.

The proclamation will also acknowledge the struggles of opposition parties, like the BNP and Jamaat, during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.

Following BNP’s input, the draft proclamation included recognition of the soldiers’ uprising on November 7, 1975, and the fifth amendment to the constitution enacted by president Ziaur Rahman’s administration in 1979.

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