Despite more than eleven months under the interim government, political parties have yet to reach an agreement on key reform proposals. Since March, the National Consensus Commission has held a series of meetings aimed at building consensus, but divisions among the political parties persist.

The parties continue to blame one another for the disagreements, prolonging the negotiation process and casting growing doubt on both the broader reform efforts and the anticipated “July Charter.” The commission had aimed to formulate a national charter by July through dialogue with political parties.

With the first half of July now past, there is still no visible sign of agreement on fundamental reform proposals. The commission is now expressing a renewed hope of finalising the charter by July 30 or 31. However, a tone of disappointment has already emerged in the voice of the commission’s vice-chair.

In his opening remarks before Monday’s (July 14) talks, Vice-Chair Professor Dr. Ali Riaz said, “The National Consensus Commission is a partner in the work of political parties. If we fail somewhere, the failure is shared. If the commission fails, it will be a collective failure for all of us.”

He added, “We must arrive at a national charter by agreeing on certain fundamental issues—through whatever process it takes—by 30 July. At most, we may extend to 31 July.”

The vice-chair called on political parties to show flexibility and come to a unified position, even if it means compromising slightly.

However, political stakeholders have already expressed doubts about how successful this consensus-building process will be. While some parties have shifted from their earlier stances to agree on certain points in the reform proposals, others have remained firmly entrenched in their original positions.

The repeated discussion of the same issues has also frustrated some parties. They say that despite lengthy discussions, these topics have yielded little tangible progress. Concerns have also been raised about the future of unresolved issues. Even so, the Consensus Commission remains committed to seeking solutions through continued dialogue.

So far, political parties have reached agreement on seven issues in the commission’s discussions: amending Article 70 of the Constitution, appointing parliamentary standing committee chairs, establishing a process for appointing the Chief Justice, enacting legislation on presidential clemency, delineating electoral boundaries, setting up High Court benches at the divisional level, and establishing lower courts at the upazila level.

Several critical issues remain unresolved in the ongoing dialogue process, including the formation of a proposed committee for appointments to constitutional and statutory bodies, previously referred to as the National Constitutional Council (NCC); the structure of a bicameral parliament, particularly the composition, nomination, election process, and jurisdiction of the upper house.

On Tuesday (July 15), discussions on the bicameral parliamentary structure resumed. Despite multiple rounds of talks, the political parties have yet to reach a clear decision on this issue. Some parties have proposed that the upper house be established based on proportional representation, while others have suggested it be based on a majority of seats. As political parties and alliances have failed to reach a consensus, they have entrusted the National Consensus Commission with the responsibility of making a final decision on the matter.

No agreement has yet been reached on the number of reserved seats for women in parliament or whether these should be filled through direct elections. Disagreements also persist over the method of electing the president, redefinition of the state’s fundamental principles, tenure limits for the prime minister, the process of appointing the chief justice, and the structure and formation of a caretaker government.

In addition, consensus is still lacking on proposals related to judicial decentralisation, the expansion of citizens’ fundamental rights, and the redistribution of powers and responsibilities of the president. As a result, many significant constitutional and state reform proposals raised during the commission’s discussions remain in limbo. It remains to be seen whether, if consensus is not reached in the coming days, the commission will also be tasked with deciding on other matters, such as the bicameral system.

Addressing the continued lack of consensus, Salahuddin Ahmed, a standing committee member of the BNP, told Banglanews, “Why must there be agreement on every issue? If there is a national consensus on certain matters, then those should form the basis of the July Charter or National Charter. But if we are forced to agree on everything, that wouldn’t be fair. Differences of opinion will naturally exist.”

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens' Party (NCP) have said they are not in favour of holding elections without fundamental reforms. Several Jamaat leaders have indicated that if no agreement is reached on core issues, the election would proceed under the existing system from the Awami League era, which they consider unacceptable.

On Tuesday (July 15), NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain alleged that while all parties have agreed to minor reform proposals in the ongoing Consensus Commission dialogue, fundamental reform issues face obstruction whenever they are raised, particularly from the BNP and a few other parties.

Speaking to reporters after Tuesday’s commission meeting, Akhtar Hossain further stated that the BNP is disrupting the consensus-building process. “Not only that,” he said, “they are also creating an environment to exclude the fundamental reform agenda from the commission’s final proposals.”

In light of the current situation, a critical question has emerged: Who will ultimately bear responsibility for the deadlock surrounding the core reform issues? Are the political parties solely to blame for the stagnation, or will the National Consensus Commission accept responsibility for failing to facilitate a consensus among them?

Despite repeated dialogues, discussions, and draft proposals, the scheduled timeline has already passed—yet there is still no clarity on when the much-anticipated "July Charter" will be published. The lack of a clear roadmap, timeline, and strategic implementation plan has not only raised questions in the political arena about the reform process itself but also created doubts and ambiguity regarding the effectiveness of the commission.

Commenting on the situation, Dr. Mohammad Saiful Alam Chowdhury, Associate Professor in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka, told Banglanews: “At commission meetings, the political parties say different things at different times. I believe the first mistake was made when Dr. Ali Riaz was brought in to replace Dr. Shahdeen Malik. Whether any real reform will take place is now in doubt. Perhaps the BNP didn’t realize it then, but they may realize it now. In Bangladesh, you cannot amend the Constitution by appointing someone to such a role who has no prior engagement with it. Reform simply doesn’t work that way.”

The country’s main political parties—BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizens' Party (NCP), and several other Islamic parties—have long held opposing views on the proposal to hold elections under a proportional representation (PR) system. The election timeline has also previously been a contentious issue. Over the past few weeks, the political landscape has continued to heat up, with intensifying rhetoric and mudslinging between parties, which many believe could further disrupt the consensus-building process.

Jamaat-e-Islami, the NCP, and other parties have expressed repeated concerns over issues such as the reform agenda, implementation mechanisms, and the government's impartiality. Tensions with the BNP over these matters have also deepened. These disagreements have surfaced more prominently while the commission has continued its series of meetings with political parties.

Urgent Call for Political Unity
Dr. Dilara Chowdhury, former professor in the Department of Political Science at Jahangirnagar University, underscored the need for unity among political parties at this critical juncture. Speaking to Banglanews, she said, “It is alarming that such deep divisions have emerged among political parties within just a year of the uprising. Right now, unity is most needed among the forces that support the uprising. Without collective unity, the country will not be able to overcome crises and conspiracies. We need a national atmosphere of unity.”

Following the fall of what was described as "Awami fascism" during the July uprising in 2024, six reform commissions were established in October last year with the aim of reconstructing the state. While the reform process began with those initial commissions, several additional commissions have since been formed and integrated into the broader initiative.

In February of this year, the National Consensus Commission was formed based on the full reports of the earlier commissions. Between March 20 and May 19, the commission held individual meetings with political parties. Beginning on June 2, a second phase of discussions began, bringing all political parties together at the same table.

Through these discussions, the commission has been working to bring the parties under one umbrella. However, uncertainty remains over how many of the 166 core reform proposals listed in the commission’s spreadsheet are moving toward implementation, whether any of them are actually being resolved, and whether the July Charter itself will be completed by the July 31 deadline.

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