Jamaat-e-Islami’s central Naib-e-Amir, Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, said his party has called for the immediate establishment of a legal framework to implement the July National Charter, asserting that the consensus reached after months of multi-party negotiations must now be given the force of law.Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna on Wednesday, Taher told media that while numerous political parties have endorsed the charter, its promises remain hollow without formal legal backing.
“Many have signed the consensus we achieved through the hard work of many parties over many months,” Taher said. “Now, a legal basis for the July Charter is essential.”
He said Jamaat urged the Chief Adviser to issue a special executive order – a “press order,” as he termed it – to institutionalise the charter, provided it does not violate existing laws. “There are questions about who can give such an order. We believe the Chief Adviser can and should do it,” Taher asserted.
The July National Charter, forged through dialogue among major political forces earlier this year, outlines key electoral and governance reforms aimed at ensuring a free, fair, and inclusive national election. However, its implementation has stalled amid political disagreements and procedural ambiguities.
Taher also addressed the contentious issue of a national referendum on the charter’s reforms.
He claimed that the BNP had initially agreed to hold a referendum but later introduced “complications” by insisting it be conducted on the same day as the national election, a proposal he rejected outright.
“The referendum is about structural reforms; it cannot be merged with the parliamentary election,” Taher argued. “BNP is now saying there’s no time but there is ample time. The referendum can be held in November.”
He warned that if the charter is not legally enacted, “all this hard work will be in vain.” However, he expressed cautious optimism, revealing that Dr Yunus had assured them during their meeting that the July Charter would indeed be given legal effect through an official order.
Jamaat’s Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, Assistant Secretary General ATM Masum, and Rafiqul Islam Khan were also present at the meeting.
The demand comes at a critical juncture, as Bangladesh prepares for national elections scheduled for February 2026. With political tensions simmering over the neutrality of the electoral process, the fate of the July Charter may well determine whether the polls are seen as legitimate—or another chapter in the country’s cycle of contested mandates.