Jamaat's Taher proposes meeting with Fakhrul to discuss July Charter implementation

Jamaat-e-Islami's Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher has reached out to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to discuss building consensus on the implementation of the July Charter.

According to party sources, Mirza Fakhrul informed BNP's Standing Committee about the phone conversation during its meeting last night (6 November). The BNP leader reportedly told Taher that he would consult with senior party leaders before making a decision on the proposed dialogue.

Earlier in the afternoon, Taher told Prothom Alo that he had called Mirza Fakhrul to propose a discussion on the issue. "The BNP secretary general said he would talk to his party's leaders and inform us later," Taher said.

On 28 October, the National Consensus Commission submitted a proposal to the interim government outlining ways to implement the July Charter. However, the BNP has raised objections, saying the proposal contains inconsistencies with the original charter signed on 17 October. The party has also disagreed on the timing of a proposed referendum linked to the charter.

The BNP favours holding the referendum on the same day as the national election, while Jamaat-e-Islami insists on conducting the referendum first to give the July Charter a legal basis before national polls are held.

In light of these disagreements, the interim government has urged political parties to reach a consensus among themselves regarding the implementation of the July Charter and related reform proposals. Following a meeting of the Advisory Council last Sunday (2 November), the government warned that if parties fail to present a united decision within a week, it would proceed to make a decision on its own.