Next JS to get 270 days for all constitutional reforms to implement July Charter, Commission recommends
Or, if a referendum is held in the form of a bill and the Constitution Reform Council fails to implement it within 270 days, the bill will be automatically passed.
The next parliament will get 270 days to complete all constitutional reforms required to implement the July National Charter, the National Consensus Commission has recommended, warning that failure to do so could trigger automatic enactment of the charter's constitutional provisions.
Speaking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka today (28 October), following the submission of its final recommendations on the implementation of the charter to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, the commission vice-chairman, Prof Ali Riaz, said the panel has recommended that the interim government immediately issue an order on the implementation of the July National Charter 2025.
According to the commission's recommendation, the next parliament would function as both a constitution reform council and the national parliament for implementing the July National Charter.
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Ali Riaz said the commission has proposed two options for implementation: it must be completed within 270 days, or if a referendum approves the relevant bill but the council fails to implement it within that timeframe, the bill would be automatically passed after 270 days.
He added that the commission has made specific recommendations on 48 constitutional issues to establish legal grounds and a clear implementation roadmap.
The government, he said, now has two options before it.
Ali Riaz said the commission has urged the government to immediately issue a charter implementation order and then hold a referendum based on that order.
Regarding the referendum, he said the public would be asked whether they agree with the proposed amendments to the 48 articles included in the July Charter.
He further noted that after the 13th general election, the new parliament would operate simultaneously as a constitution reform council – with a 270-day tenure – and the national parliament.
Once the necessary constitutional amendments, additions and deletions are made, parliament must approve them and then proceed to establish an upper house, he added.
On the formation of an upper house, Ali Riaz said that, based on the recommendations of the Constitution Reform Commission, the Electoral Reform Commission and the National Consensus Commission, it has been proposed that the upper house be formed through proportional representation based on the popular vote.
If the proposal receives public approval, the upper house formation must be implemented within 45 days of the general election, he added.
Ali Riaz went on to say that, for the first time, political parties have been "waived" from the requirement to publish candidate lists for the upper house in advance.
"Our second alternative proposal is that the government issue a July Charter Implementation Order, under which a referendum will be held. However, in that order, all 48 constitution-related issues will be presented together in the form of a single bill for the referendum.
"If the bill is approved in the referendum, and the constitution reform council fails to complete its assigned tasks within 270 days, the corresponding constitutional amendments will automatically be incorporated into the constitution."
Ali Riaz expressed hope that the next parliament would fulfil its assigned responsibilities within the 270-day timeframe, so that automatic approval is not necessary.
He also mentioned that members of parliament would take two separate oaths: one as members of the constitution reform council and another as members of parliament, with the speaker presiding over both.
Earlier today, the commission submitted its recommendations on the implementation of the July National Charter to Yunus, a day after its closing meeting.
Previously, members of the commission arrived at the state guest house Jamuna, the official residence of the chief adviser, to formally submit their recommendations to the interim government.
The handover ceremony took place there in the presence of members of the Advisory Council.
The commission held its closing meeting yesterday at Jamuna, chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
The July National Charter 2025 was signed on 17 October amid a boycott by several political parties, including the National Citizen Party (NCP).
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, members of the National Consensus Commission and leaders of different political parties signed the charter at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka.
