MD ABBAS

The National Consensus Commission has finalised the agreed-upon reform proposals for inclusion in the July Charter, but parties remain split over whether to make the document legally binding for ensuring its implementation.

Some parties are calling for the charter to give a legal basis while others believe that the consensus it represents overrides legal formalities, making its implementation a moral and political obligation for any future government.

The BNP and its allies, including Jatiyatabadi Samamana Jote, the 12-Party Alliance, the National Democratic Movement (NDM), and the Labour Party, oppose giving the charter legal status.

Speaking to reporters, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said, “We are committing to implement this charter based on the sovereign authority of the people. There is no greater national consensus than this. It is above the law.”

He said that the charter includes a proposal to implement reforms within two years of forming a new government, a timeline the BNP supports.

“The charter will not only be signed by the commission but by all political parties. It reflects the people’s will and may be added to the constitution’s fourth schedule,” he said.

“We will grant it constitutional and state recognition. If this isn’t legally binding, what is?”

In contrast, the Jamaat-e-Islami, “BNP

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