BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has described the signing of the historic July National Charter as a “historic moment” in Bangladesh’s political history. He made the remarks in an interview with BBC Bangla on Friday (October 17).
Mirza Fakhrul said, “Today’s event proves that when the nation and the state demand unity, political parties in Bangladesh are capable of acting responsibly and working together for the greater good.”
Expressing optimism, he added that the political parties that have not yet signed the Charter may still join after further discussions.
Speaking about the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), which did not participate in the signing, Fakhrul said, “The NCP played an important role throughout the July process. Their absence today was nothing more than a misunderstanding. In our earlier discussions within the National Consensus Commission, they were positive on almost every issue. Whatever disagreements remained could have been resolved through dialogue. I believe their decision not to sign reflects a lack of political foresight—otherwise, they too would have signed today.”
However, he dismissed any notion that this reflected division among the parties. “I believe they will soon realize their mistake and return to the right position,” he said confidently.
When asked whether disagreements might continue to spark debate, Mirza Fakhrul replied, “Debate exists in every country and in every era. Unfortunately, we as a nation seem to enjoy debates—but through them, progress also happens.”
Concluding his remarks, the BNP leader said, “Despite all the challenges, this is a great achievement—a true milestone. There will be more discussions on its implementation, but today’s step stands as a symbol of hope for the nation’s democratic future.”