The members of the Consensus Commission, including Chief Adviser to the Interim Government Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and leaders of political parties formally signed the July National Charter on Friday (October 17) at approximately 5:00 PM.
The Charter outlines a framework for state restructuring through seven core commitments.
According to the commitments of the July Charter, the document begins with the declaration: “Prioritizing the will of the people based on democratic values and national consensus.”
Key Commitments of the Charter
First Commitment: The long struggle to restore the rights of the people and re-establish democracy, culminating in the 2024 Mass Uprising, is recognized as a historic turning point in that fight. It ensures the full implementation of the July National Charter 2025, which was formulated through the sacrifices of thousands of lives.
Second Commitment: Declaring that the people are the owners of the state, their will is the supreme law. In the continuation of establishing democracy, political parties have adopted this Charter, reflecting the will of the people. Therefore, there is a declaration to incorporate the Charter as a Schedule to the Constitution or in an appropriate manner.
Third Commitment: The validity or necessity of the July National Charter shall not be questioned in any court.
Fourth Commitment: Constitutional and state recognition will be granted to the historical significance of the people's 16-year struggle for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, especially the 2024 Mass Uprising.
Fifth Commitment (Revised): This clause was amended just before the signing ceremony based on the demands of the 'July Warriors'. The revised clause states: "We will ensure justice for all killings, disappearances, and torture victims during the 16 years of the anti-fascist democratic struggle before the mass uprising, and for all killings that occurred during the July-August 2024 Mass Uprising. We will also provide State recognition as 'State Heroes' to the martyrs and the July-Uprising injured fighters, ensuring appropriate assistance (such as monthly allowances, quality medical care, and rehabilitation), legal immunity, protection of fundamental rights, and security for the martyr families and the injured heroes."
Sixth Commitment: This pledge focuses on the comprehensive reform of the Constitution, the electoral system, the judiciary, public administration, the police structure, and the anti-corruption mechanism. It commits to amending or enacting new necessary laws, rules, and regulations to implement these reforms.
Seventh Commitment: The Interim Government will implement, without any delay, all decisions contained within the July Charter that are immediately actionable.
The July National Charter 2025 is fundamentally based on the July-August 2024 Mass Uprising, which is seen as a crucial juncture in the country's political history.
During that period, thousands of citizens took to the streets to protest the misrule, state oppression, economic mismanagement, and social injustice of the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina.
Over a thousand people were killed and more than 20,000 were injured and maimed during the movement, which ultimately led to the dictator Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country and taking refuge in India.
