July Charter signed by CA, BNP, Jamaat, 22 other parties amid boycott by NCP, 4 leftist parties
Meanwhile, Gono Forum attended the ceremony but didn't sign the charter, according to a Prothom Alo report.
Highlights
- July National Charter 2025 signed at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban
- Chief Adviser Yunus, 25 parties attended; NCP, CPB, Basad, Jasad, Samajtantrik Dal boycotted.
- Gonoforum attended but didn't sign.
- Charter condemns 2014, 2018, 2024 polls and rising autocracy
- Includes a seven-point pledge to restore democracy
The much-awaited "July National Charter 2025" was signed this afternoon (17 October), amid the boycott of several political parties, including the National Citizen Party (NCP).
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, members of National Consensus Commission and leaders of different political parties signed the charter at South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka.
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Besides NCP, the ceremony was also boycotted by the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Basad), the Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist), and the Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad).
Meanwhile, Gonoforum attended the ceremony but didn't sign the charter, according to a Prothom Alo report.
Representatives of the following parties were present:
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP): Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami: Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, central nayeb-e-amir and Mian Golam Porwar, secretary general.
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP): Redwan Ahmed, secretary general and Neyamul Bashir, presidium member.
Khelafat Majlis: Maulana Abdul Basit Azad, ameer and Ahmad Abdul Qadir, secretary general.
State Reform Movement: Hasnat Qayyum, chief coordinator and Syed Hasibuddin Hossain, media coordinator.
Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party): Mohammad Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan Manju, chairman and Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, general secretary.
Nagorik Oikya: Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president and Shahidullah Kaiser, general secretary.
Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM): Bobby Hajjaj, chairman and Mominul Amin, secretary general.
Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis: Maulana Yusuf Ashraf, senior nayeb-e-amir and Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmed, secretary general.
Ganosamhati Andolon: Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator and Abul Hasan Rubel, executive coordinator.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD): Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan, general secretary; Tania Rob, senior vice president.
Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP): Nurul Haque Nur, president and Md Rashed Khan, general secretary.
Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh: Saiful Haque, general secretary and Bohnishikha Jamali, political council member.
Nationalist Like-Minded Alliance: Fariduzzaman Farhad, coordinator and chairman, NPP and Bir Muktijoddha Khandaker Lutfar Rahman, president, National Democratic Party – JAGPA.
12-Party Alliance: Shahadat Hossain Selim, spokesperson and chairman, Bangladesh LDP.
Islamic Movement Bangladesh: Professor Ashraf Ali Akon, presidium member and Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman, senior joint secretary general.
Gonoforum: Senior advocate Bir Muktijoddha Subrata Chowdhury, acting president and Md Mizanur Rahman, general secretary.
Zaker Party: Alhaj Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan, vice chairman and Zahirul Hasan Sheikh, joint general secretary, Gazipur District Student Front.
Jatiya Gano Front: Aminul Haque Tipu Biswas, central committee coordinator and Manjurul Arefin Litu Biswas, member, Central Committee.
Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam Party: Maulana Abdul Majed Athari, senior nayeb ameer and Maulana Musa Bin Izhar, secretary general.
Bangladesh Labour Party: Mostafizur Rahman Iran, chairman and Khandaker Mirajul Islam, acting secretary general.
Bhasani Janashakti Party: Bir Muktijoddha Sheikh Rafiqul Islam (Bablu), chairman and Mohammad Abu Yusuf (Selim), secretary general.
Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh: Maulana Abdur Rab Yusufi, vice president and Maulana Manjurul Islam Afendi, secretary general.
Islami Oikya Jote: Maulana Abdul Quader, chairman and Mufti Sakhawat Hossain Razi, secretary general.
Aam Janata Party: Colonel Mia Mashiuzzaman (Retd.), president and Md Tarique Rahman, general secretary.
The ceremony began at 4:25pm in festive manner with the chief adviser in the chair.
The 40-page dossier outlines the political history of Bangladesh, covering the British colonial period, the historic Language Movement of 1952, the education movements of 1962, the autonomy movement of 1966, and the mass uprising of 1969.
It also recalls the 1970 general elections, the Liberation War of 1971, and the establishment of a one-party state through constitutional amendments in 1975.
The charter noted that "following various political developments, the country returned to democracy through the parliamentary elections of 1979, initiated by the reintroduction of a multi-party system in 1978. However, that democratic path was short-lived."
It further highlights that between 2009 and 2024, state institutions were dominated by autocratic practices favoring certain individuals, families, and groups.
The charter criticised the three consecutive controversial elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024, saying they undermined the electoral system, politicised the judiciary, law enforcement and public administration and facilitated corruption.
The charter also reflects on the persistent democratic movements of the last 16 years, including road safety movement in 2018, anti-quota movement, and student-led anti-discrimination movement and culminating in the broad-based mass uprising against fascism in July 2024.
Finally, the charter contains a seven-point commitment, urging political party representatives to sign it and uphold the will of the people expressed in the July 2024 uprising, grounded in democratic principles and national consensus.
