Political parties to get draft of national charter on Monday, says Ali Riaz

The National Consensus Commission will send a preliminary draft of the national charter to political parties on Monday to gather their feedback, according to the panel's Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz.

“Our goal is to sign the national charter. The commission has prepared the initial draft of the charter. The draft will be sent to the parties by tomorrow,” Riaz said.

“We think that if they give their opinions, it will be incorporated.”

Riaz made the remarks during his opening speech at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Sunday, the 19th day of the second phase of the ongoing dialogue with political parties.

The day’s agenda includes discussions on the principles of state governance, proposals to expand citizens’ fundamental rights, and the formation of a Police Commission.

Riaz clarified that the draft itself will not be a topic of discussion unless there are significant objections.

“If there are major fundamental objections, we will bring it up for discussion, otherwise we will not bring it up,” he said.

“If you give your opinion, it will be included in the initial draft. The charter will include a preamble and a section on commitments.”

He also noted that a separate day would be set aside during the dialogue for signing the charter.

The commission aims to conclude discussions by Jul 31.

“We have reached consensus on 10 issues. Seven issues remain unresolved, and three have not been discussed,” Riaz said.