The July National Charter 2025, a landmark political declaration in Bangladesh, was officially signed on Friday, October 17, 2025, marking a significant step in the country’s political landscape. This document, which aims to bring comprehensive reforms to the nation’s constitution, electoral system, and administration, follows the July Revolution of 2024, a mass uprising that called for systemic changes.

A total of 25 political parties signed the charter at a ceremony held at the South Plaza of the National Parliament, where members of the National Consensus Commission, chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, oversaw the proceedings. This agreement comes after extensive negotiations involving 30 political parties and an interim government, marking a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s political history.

Background and Drafting of the Charter

The preliminary draft of the July Charter was released on July 28, 2025, after months of deliberation by the National Consensus Commission, which was formed specifically for this purpose. The draft was the result of discussions between political parties and the interim government, aiming to reform the Constitution of Bangladesh and address governance, electoral systems, and law enforcement practices.

In the lead-up to the finalization of the charter, a series of protests took place, particularly in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area, where demonstrators—many of them injured during the July-August 2024 mass uprising—called for immediate recognition of the charter. The protests caused significant traffic disruptions as protesters insisted on the swift adoption of the charter.

Key Commitments and Objectives

The July National Charter 2025 includes several key objectives aimed at reforming the country’s political and administrative framework. These include:

Implementation of Reforms:

The charter commits to implementing reforms across governance, the judiciary, elections, public administration, law enforcement, and anti-corruption measures. This will be done through constitutional amendments, legal revisions, or the creation of new legislation.

Timeline for Implementation:

Reforms are to be completed within two years of the formation of a government elected after the charter’s adoption.

Legal Safeguards:

The charter mandates full legal and constitutional protection for its contents, ensuring that reforms are carried out in line with public aspirations and sacrifices.

Recognition of Historical Significance:

The charter formally acknowledges the 2024 pro-democracy movement and the July Revolution, incorporating these historical events into the nation’s constitutional framework.

Controversies and Reactions

Despite the broad political support for the July Charter 2025, the document has faced criticism and dissent. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and some of its allies expressed concerns about the potential benefits the charter might offer certain political parties, particularly the National Citizen Party, a student-led group. While the BNP stated its support for the state recognition of the charter, it opposed its incorporation into the constitution.

Several left-wing parties also refrained from signing the charter. The Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal cited concerns over the charter’s perceived distortion of the Liberation War’s history and its potential to alter constitutional principles. The National Citizen Party also abstained from signing, demanding immediate legal recognition of the charter before their involvement.

Despite these criticisms, the National Consensus Commission remains optimistic about the charter’s future implementation. Ali Riaz, the commission’s vice-president, expressed confidence that the reforms outlined in the charter would be executed, despite the dissenting voices.

No.	Party/Alliance	Signatories	Date
–	Interim government of Bangladesh National Consensus Commission	Muhammad Yunus	17 October 2025
		Ali Riaz
		Iftekharuzzaman
		Emdadul Haque
		Badiul Alam Majumder
		Sarfaraz Hossain
		Mohammad Ayub Mia
1	Liberal Democratic Party	Redwan Ahmed
		Neyamul Bashir
2	Khelafat Majlis	Abdul Basit Azad
		Ahmad Abdul Quader
3	Rastro Sonskar Andolan	Hasnat Quaiyum
		Syed Hasibuddin Hossain
4	Amar Bangladesh Party	Mojibur Rahman Bhuiyan Monju
		Asaduzzaman Fuaad
5	Nagorik Oikya	Mahmudur Rahman Manna
		Shahidullah Kaiser
6	National Democratic Movement	Bobby Hajjaj
		Mominul Amin
7	Bangladesh Nationalist Party	Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
		Salahuddin Ahmed
8	Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish	Yusuf Ashraf
		Jalaluddin Ahmed
9	Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami	Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher
		Mia Golam Parwar
10	Ganosamhati Andolon	Zonayed Saki
		Abul Hasan Rubel
11	Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab)	Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan
		Tania Rob
12	Gono Odhikar Parishad	Nurul Haque Nur
		Md. Rashed Khan
13	Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh	Saiful Haque
		Bahnishikha Jamali
14	Nationalist Like-minded Alliance	Fariduzzaman Farhad (NPP)
		Khondaker Lutfar Rahman (JAGPA)
15	12-party Alliance	Mostafa Jamal Haider
		Shahadat Hossain Selim
16	Islami Andolan Bangladesh	Ashraf Ali Akon
		Gazi Ataur Rahman
17	Zaker Party	Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan
		Zahirul Hasan Sheikh
18	Gano Front	Aminul Haque Tipu Biswas
		Manjurul Arefin Litu Biswas
19	Nizam-e-Islam Party	Abdul Majed Athari
		Musa Bin Izhar
20	Bangladesh Labour Party	Mostafizur Rahman Iran
		Khondaker Mirajul Islam
21	Bhasani Janashakti Party	Sheikh Rafiqul Islam Bablu
		Mohammad Abu Yusuf Selim
22	Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh	Abdur Rob Yousufi
		Manjurul Islam Afeendi
23	Islami Oikya Jote	Abdul Kader
		Sakhawat Hossain Raji
24	Amjanatar Dol	Mia Moshiuzzaman
		Md. Tariq Rahman
25	Gano Forum	Subrata Chowdhury	19 October 2025
		Md. Mizanur Rahman

Conclusion

The July National Charter 2025 marks a critical moment in Bangladesh’s political evolution, signaling a commitment to reform in response to the 2024 uprising. With the support of 25 political parties and the backing of the interim government, the charter is poised to reshape the nation’s governance, electoral systems, and administrative processes. However, the path forward may still involve contentious debates, particularly regarding the recognition and legal integration of the charter into Bangladesh’s Constitution.