The much-anticipated “July National Charter-2025” is set to be signed this afternoon (Thursday), marking a landmark step toward fostering national unity and democratic consensus in Bangladesh.
Chief Adviser and Chairman of the seven-member National Consensus Commission (Jatiya Oaikymoto Commission), Professor Muhammad Yunus, will attend the signing ceremony as the chief guest. The event will take place at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at around 4:00 PM.
Ahead of the ceremony, the Chief Adviser convened an emergency meeting at the Foreign Service Academy on Wednesday evening to finalize preparations. Leaders from various political parties were present at the meeting.
According to officials, the 40-page charter—already circulated among political parties nationwide—provides a comprehensive outline of Bangladesh’s political evolution, beginning from the British colonial era through to the present day.
It revisits key milestones, including the Language Movement of 1952, Education Movement of 1962, Six-Point Movement of 1966, Mass Uprising of 1969, 1970 General Elections, and the Liberation War of 1971. The document also reflects on the subsequent establishment of a one-party state in 1975 through constitutional changes.
The charter observes that the return to democracy in 1979, following the reintroduction of a multi-party system in 1978, was short-lived.
It further states that between 2009 and 2024, state institutions became dominated by autocratic practices, enabling political favoritism, corruption, and weakening of democratic institutions. It sharply criticizes the controversial elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024, describing them as setbacks that undermined the electoral system and politicized the judiciary and administration.
Highlighting the persistent democratic movements over the past 16 years — from the 2018 road safety protests, anti-quota movement, and student-led anti-discrimination campaign, to the mass uprising of July 2024 — the charter positions these as defining struggles for democracy.
Finally, the document concludes with a seven-point pledge, calling upon political representatives to sign the charter and commit to upholding the people’s mandate expressed through the July 2024 uprising, ensuring governance based on democracy, accountability, and national consensus.
