The National Consensus Commission will not impose anything in implementing the July Charter, said the Commission’s Vice-Chairman Dr. Ali Riaz. He clarified that the Commission does not have the authority to enforce the charter; it can only make recommendations to the government after discussions with political parties.
Dr. Riaz made the remarks in his opening statement at a meeting with political parties held on Thursday at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. Around 30 political parties participated in the discussions.
“In our last dialogue, we reached consensus on certain issues, including those where there were notes of dissent. A draft was shared with the parties, and they have provided their feedback. The commitment document has been extensively discussed, and I expect the final draft will be delivered by this evening,” he said.
He further noted that the process of implementing the July Charter has been discussed multiple times. To support this, a panel of experts—including former judges, lawyers, and law professors—was formed. At one stage, the Attorney General and the Legal Adviser also joined the discussions. Based on the views of experts and political parties, it was concluded that certain aspects of the July Charter could be implemented by an interim government.
“The Commission does not wish to force any decision,” Dr. Riaz added. “Our goal is to develop a unified proposal in consultation with the expert panel and political parties, and then submit it to the government.”