National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz on Sunday expressed hope for signing the July Charter, based on consensus among all parties, on the martyrdom day of shaheed Abu Sayed.
"Different proposals placed through talks were kept in mind because we have to reach a consensus through discussions. The month of July will begin after a day, and the commission is committed to adopting the national charter within July," he said.
Riaz was delivering his opening remarks at the beginning of a discussion of the commission with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy at about 10:30am.
He said: "We had hoped that we all would sign the July Charter on the anniversary of the martyrdom of shaheed Abu Sayed, but it depends on you. We have to conclude the process of preparing the July Charter within July."
He said the commission is performing an important responsibility entrusted by the government for state reforms.
In the context of discussing proposals placed by different reform commissions with various political parties, Riaz said the commission had to be flexible on various issues based on the opinions of the parties, as political parties represent the country's people.
"And you (political party leaders) will govern the country one day," he said.
He added that the issue of state reforms is a huge task, and in the future, they must ensure that no constitutional amendment is made against the wishes of the people.
"This issue needs to be constitutionally ensured. At present, there is a need to limit the power of individuals because individualism was entrenched in governance in the past, and we cannot rule out that fear in the future," he said.
"So, we have to ensure these safeguards constitutionally, through the independence of the legal system and the judiciary," Riaz said.
Recalling the sacrifice of the July martyrs and the injured, he said they have been able to come here today through enormous oppression, great sacrifice, and endless torture of many people.
"We have to reach a certain point. This is our responsibility, our duty," he added.
In the second round of talks, the National Consensus Commission is holding meetings with political parties for the seventh day today to reach a consensus on various issues of state reform and preparing the July Charter.
Presided over by Riaz, the meeting was attended by commission members Justice Emdadul Haque, Badiul Alam Majumder, Dr Md Ayub Mia, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Safar Raj Hossain, and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider.
Representatives of 30 political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), Ganaodhikar Parishad, Gana Sanghati Party, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplabi Workers Party, and Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party joined the discussion.
