Seven parties fail to submit opinions on draft July Charter

Seven political parties did not submit their opinions on the draft of the July Charter prepared by the National Consensus Commission (NCC) as the deadline for official responses ended on Friday.

The NCC had earlier extended the deadline by two days, to August 22, following requests from five political parties. The original deadline was August 20.

According to the commission, the parties that have yet to submit their opinions are: Nagorik Oikko, Islamic Andolan Bangladesh, Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP), Rastro Songskar Andolon, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh, and Islami Okkojot.

In contrast, major political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and National Citizen Party (NCP), along with 23 others, submitted their feedback.

The NCC has said it will hold another round of meetings with political parties after receiving responses and expert feedback, to give final approval to the charter.

Meanwhile, the commission has also begun consultations with experts on how to establish legal frameworks to ensure implementation of the national charter. Calls have intensified for incorporating binding provisions into the constitution, though political disagreements remain over how the charter should be legally enforced.

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