Dhaka, Nov 14 — National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary on Friday said his party will sign the July Charter only after the Bangladesh interim government offers clear explanations regarding its implementation order, referendum framework and overall reform process, local media reported.
Addressing a press conference in Dhaka, Patwary said the government’s proposed four-question package for the upcoming referendum lacked detail and specificity. “The implementation order, the referendum and the reform process remain vague. We will sign the July Charter only after these matters are clarified,” he stated, adding that the points labelled A to D “must be clearly explained”.
The NCP leader accused the government of worsening the political crisis rather than resolving it, particularly due to the absence of a defined roadmap for conducting the referendum and the national election on the same day. Raising objections, he said the implementation process must be explicit and warned that the referendum should not be used as a political tool. “Such actions will ultimately lead to public rejection,” he cautioned. While acknowledging that the new charter may have legal merit, he argued it lacks moral legitimacy.
The debate intensified on Thursday after Jamaat-e-Islami criticised Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus for announcing that the referendum and general election would be held simultaneously in the first half of February 2026. Yunus said the joint process would be cost-effective and festive, without hindering reforms.
Reacting sharply, Jamaat leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said the referendum must precede the election for the charter to be effective. He demanded immediate withdrawal of Yunus’ statement, dismissing the cost-saving justification as “flimsy”. Taher added that protest rallies across Bangladesh will continue as part of an eight-party alliance pushing for five key demands, including holding the referendum before polls and issuing a clear implementation order.
With political tensions rising and parties increasingly divided over reform mechanisms, Bangladesh faces mounting uncertainty ahead of next year’s election.
