National Consensus Commission Begins Third Phase of Implementing the July National Charter

The National Consensus Commission has launched the third phase of its efforts to fully implement the July National Charter, which was formulated with the aim of state reform. This phase will primarily focus on determining the implementation process for the recommendations outlined in the Charter and collecting signatures from political parties. The Commission will conduct a series of discussions with experts and political parties to achieve these goals.

According to Commission sources, the objective of this phase is to establish an effective framework for implementing the proposals that received full or partial consensus during the second phase of discussions with political parties. In particular, legal experts and constitutional scholars will be consulted to identify which recommendations can be implemented through ordinances and which require constitutional amendments.

A Commission member stated, “In this phase, we aim to bridge the gap in opinions among the political parties—especially those that still have reservations or are hesitant to sign the Charter. We will seek acceptable solutions through dialogue.”

As per the information available, following discussions with 30 political parties during the second phase, consensus was reached on 19 key proposals—9 of which were unanimously agreed upon. However, differences of opinion remain on 10 proposals, which will be the focus of further discussion in this phase.

The decision to begin this phase was taken at a meeting held yesterday at the National Parliament Building, chaired by Commission Vice President Professor Ali Riaz. Among those present were members Badiul Alam Majumdar, Justice Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, and special assistant to Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus, Monir Haidar.

Monir Haidar stated, “Our goal is to create a Charter that is politically acceptable, practically feasible, and legally sustainable. To that end, we are involving all parties and formulating an actionable roadmap through a step-by-step dialogue process.”

It is noteworthy that following the formation of the interim government in October 2024, six separate reform commissions were established. Based on their 166 recommendations, the National Consensus Commission was formed. Some of these recommendations are already being implemented as they are deemed “immediately actionable,” while others—requiring legal frameworks and political consensus—are the focus of the third phase.

The National Consensus Commission hopes that through inclusive and reasonable discussions, an effective, acceptable, and legally grounded National Charter can be formulated, which will serve as a commitment to be implemented within two years by the next government.