Parties split over dissent notes as debate deepens on July Charter
NCP’s Khaled Saifullah said while all parties have the right to express dissent, focusing solely on disagreements would not serve the national interest
Differences among political parties have resurfaced over how to handle dissenting opinions in the proposed July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025, with several speakers warning that excluding "notes of dissent" from the draft could weaken public trust in the upcoming referendum.
The concerns were raised at a round-table discussion titled "July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025 – Public Expectations and the Need for National Unity," held today (4 November) at the Nagorik Coalition office in Dhaka.
The discussion focused on the draft reform order and the political disagreements surrounding it.
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The event was moderated by Fahim Mashrur, co-coordinator of the Nagorik Coalition and Voice for Reform, and was attended by a wide range of political representatives, including BNP's Shama Obaed, Jamaat-e-Islami's Advocate Shishir Manir, NCP's Khaled Saifullah, AB Party President Mujibur Rahman Monju, Gono Sanghati Andolan's Zonayed Saki, Nagorik Oikko's Saqeeb Anwar, and APP Bangladesh Chief Coordinator Naeem Ahmed.
At the event, BNP's Shama Obaed and Gono Sanghati's Zonayed Saki said the referendum list proposed by the Consensus Commission, which omits notes of dissent, has created a sense of mistrust.
Jamaat-e-Islami's Advocate Shishir Manir, however, dismissed allegations of irregularities against the Consensus Commission as "unfounded and politically motivated."
NCP's Khaled Saifullah said while all parties have the right to express dissent, focusing solely on disagreements would not serve the national interest. "Through the referendum, the people are being empowered to decide on constitutional reforms themselves," he said.
The APP Bangladesh proposed conducting the referendum using two separate ballots – one containing issues agreed upon by all parties, and another listing the points of dissent.
BNP to decide on signing July charter if its notes of dissent are formally incorporated: Fakhrul
According to the party, this method would allow citizens to express their opinions more clearly and avoid polarisation over contested provisions.
Representatives of the Nagorik Coalition said under the Consensus Commission's second proposal, members of a newly elected constitutional council would have the discretion to decide how to implement disputed provisions.
They added that since the reform schedule would not automatically be incorporated into the constitution after 270 days, there should be no significant objections from any party.
However, the coalition urged policymakers to reconsider the provision allowing constitutional amendments to pass with a simple majority of 50.1% in the new constitutional council, warning that such a low threshold could enable one party to dominate the reform process.
The coalition also called on the government to clarify ambiguous sections of the draft July Charter Implementation Order to help all stakeholders reach a common understanding and restore public confidence ahead of the referendum.
