STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Major political parties yesterday said they would decide whether to sign the July Charter only after reviewing the National Consensus Commission’s recommendations for the government on how to implement the charter.

Their reactions came hours after the commission announced that the signing ceremony for the charter will be held on October 15 at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad in the presence of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, who also heads the commission.

The announcement followed a series of dialogues that ended without agreement on the implementation process.

While the commission said consensus was reached on holding a referendum to ensure public endorsement of the charter, the parties remained divided over its timing.

The BNP said the referendum should be held on the same day as the next national election in February 2026, arguing that holding it earlier would be “impractical, costly, and could delay the polls”.

The Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party insisted the referendum must take place before the election, with Jamaat saying this would give the charter “strong legitimacy”, and NCP warning that holding it on polling day would “make it lose importance”.

A commission press release said the date for signing was finalised at a meeting yesterday.

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