Dhaka, April 1: The political landscape in Bangladesh is heating up over the July Charter. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has vehemently condemned the “July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025,” issued during Mohammad Yunus’s interim government, labeling it as a “never-ending document of deception” and a “national fraud.”
Local media have prominently featured his statements. Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman expressed his views in Parliament, stating, “These directives are not legally valid.”
According to the Dhaka Tribune, Ahmed asserted, “This order has no legal basis and has been illegal from the start.” He accused the interim government of failing to include “notes of dissent” submitted by various political parties before presenting the document.
Ahmed further stated, “This reflects the interim government’s ongoing tendency to deceive. Presenting it to the public, despite differing opinions from political parties, is a betrayal of the nation.” He also questioned the legality of the presidential order issued concerning the July Charter, arguing that the authority to issue such directives ceased after April 7, 1973.
He asked, “After April 7, 1973, the president no longer had the right to issue such an order. So how was this order issued?” Ahmed emphasized that an order deemed illegal from the outset is legally “void-ab-initio” (null from the beginning) and cannot be recognized as an ordinance or law.
Criticizing the ballot structure of the referendum held alongside the national elections on February 12, the Home Minister noted that voters were forced to respond to four different questions with a simple “yes” or “no.” He stressed that no law should be imposed on the public in such a manner.
He added that the previous interim government lacked the authority to make decisions on fundamental national issues. Ahmed also criticized the Bangladesh Election Commission for administering oaths to members of the Constitutional Reform Council, stating that there is no legal basis for swearing in “a body that does not exist.”
Meanwhile, the opposition claims that the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025, is legal and demands respect for the will of the people and the spirit of the July Charter. A major Bangladeshi newspaper quoted opposition leader Rahman as saying, “The Home Minister called this order a never-ending deception. He stated that the interim government and the president conspired to do this. This order was issued on November 13 last year, and voting occurred on February 12 this year. Due to their (BNP’s) demands, Parliament and the referendum were held on the same day, and the government formally congratulated them. Therefore, it can be assumed that the referendum was also their demand.”
Rahman further noted that both Ahmed and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman supported “yes” in the referendum. He stated, “We have not changed our position,” and warned that if the referendum is declared unconstitutional, many previous referendums will come under scrutiny.
The ruling BNP government is facing challenges arising from constitutional changes made during the interim government’s tenure.
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