Dhaka, Aug 19 (V7N) – BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has expressed strong reservations about parts of the final draft of the July Charter, particularly its introduction and points 2, 3, and 4.

Speaking at a view-exchange meeting with journalists at his Gulshan residence on Tuesday morning, Salahuddin said the draft contained “untrue information” in its introduction and included issues that were neither discussed nor presented accurately during consultations.

He stated that BNP will thoroughly review the document and submit its opinion to the commission. “Although it was said earlier that constitutional amendments would be passed within two years of the formation of the next parliament, that commitment is missing in the final draft,” he noted.

The BNP leader stressed three urgent priorities:

  1. Determining how the 84 agreed-upon points in the July Charter will be implemented.

  2. Resolving issues that received notes of dissent from various parties.

  3. Clarifying how constitutional reform pledges will be honored.

He cautioned that placing the July Charter above the constitution, as implied in the draft, would set a “bad precedent.” “No document can be above the constitution,” he said, adding that the draft’s assertion that questions cannot be raised about the charter was also “not correct.”

On elections, Salahuddin confirmed that the polls are set for the first half of February 2026, based on a letter from the Chief Advisor to the Election Commission. He said the commission’s preparations are nearly complete, and while some advisors have made strong statements in recent days, BNP views those as political tactics rather than changes in policy.

END/SMA/AJ