NCP calls for Constituent Assembly elections to implement July Charter

National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain has proposed holding Constituent Assembly elections to ensure the implementation of the July Charter, which he said must be named in memory of the martyrs and injured of July Uprising.

Speaking to journalists after a meeting with the National Consensus Commission at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka this evening (14 September), the NCP leader said the commission had discussed a wide range of issues — some linked to the constitution, and others that could be addressed through ordinances or executive orders.

"Many issues involve the structure of the state and require major constitutional changes. There is concern over whether such fundamental reforms can be sustained through amendments alone, given that similar amendments have previously been challenged and struck down by the High Court," he said.

The NCP leader argued that the reforms and amendments agreed upon by the commission could only be made sustainable through a new constitution, drafted by a newly elected Constituent Assembly. 

For this, he said, political parties must reach a consensus.

Akhtar expressed optimism that the parties would support the implementation of the July Charter and urged Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to extend the consensus commission's tenure to allow it to complete its work effectively and transparently.