Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, along with leaders from various political parties, signed the July National Charter 2025 this Friday at 5:00 PM. The signing ceremony began at 4:37 PM with the national anthem.
Present at the event were members of the Advisory Council, leaders from different political parties, and members of the National Consensus Commission. Guests began arriving at the South Plaza of the National Parliament, where the ceremony took place. Several advisers were seen at the venue.
Professor Muhammad Yunus arrived around 4:30 PM, accompanied by Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, and Vice-President of the National Consensus Commission, Ali Riaz.
Among the political leaders seen on stage were BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Gonosonghoti Andolon Coordinator Zonayed Saki, and Ashraf Ali Akon from Islami Andolon Bangladesh.
Several foreign diplomats based in Bangladesh were also in attendance.
The ceremony was originally scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM. However, around 1:00 PM, a group identifying themselves as “July Warriors” occupied the venue. Police later used batons to remove them. This led to clashes between the police and the group, including brick-throwing and acts of arson. Additionally, there was a short spell of rain, and the sky remained cloudy.
At 2:58 PM, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam posted on his verified Facebook account, stating that the event might be delayed by a few minutes due to unfavorable weather. In his post, he wrote: “Everything is proceeding smoothly, and some guests have already arrived at the venue. We now await the beginning of a new chapter in our history.”
At around 4:00 PM, several advisers, including Education Adviser CR Abrar, Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Liberation War Affairs Adviser Faruk-e-Azam, Energy Adviser Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Fayez Ahmed Tayyab, were seen at the event.
Speaking to journalists, Syeda Rizwana Hasan remarked, “This charter has the potential to be a very good one. There are some notes of dissent. In the future, we’ll work on how to minimize these disagreements and how to involve those who are not signing today. If the commitments are implemented, I believe it will mark a strong journey toward democracy.”
On his way to the venue, Revolutionary Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque commented on the clash between the police and the “July Warriors,” saying, “It’s embarrassing and shameful to have such incidents on the day the charter is being signed. What happened despite the announcement from the vice-president of the Consensus Commission does not send a good message for a future transition.”
Lawyer and former Shibir leader Shishir Monir said, “The July Warriors presented three demands. We have spoken about them and discussed them with the Commission. The Commission showed great patience and has already made amendments to the July Charter. They should no longer have any concerns.”
In response to protests and unrest, the National Consensus Commission announced at 2:00 PM that it had revised the fifth clause of the July Charter.
It should be noted that parties including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Islami Andolon had previously confirmed their participation in the event. However, the National Citizen Party (NCP) announced at around 2:00 AM on Thursday night that it would not sign the charter without a clear legal foundation.
Additionally, four left-leaning parties — the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASAD), BASAD (Marxist), and JASAD — declared they would not sign unless they received the revised draft of the charter prior to the ceremony.
