The National Citizens’ Party (NCP) has not yet signed the July Charter but continues informal discussions on the matter at various levels. Senior party leaders said that once the legal framework of the charter is clarified, the NCP will formally sign it and then begin full-scale election activities.
The National Consensus Commission’s tenure ends on October 31, and NCP leaders believe there is a strong possibility of signing the charter before that date. Recently, a four-member NCP delegation led by Convener Nahid Islam met with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna. During the meeting, Yunus urged the NCP to sign the July Charter, while the party emphasized the need for legal assurance. The NCP also proposed that the Chief Adviser, rather than the President, should issue a special constitutional order to implement the charter.
On October 17, the NCP did not attend the official charter-signing ceremony at the South Plaza of the National Parliament. The party had earlier outlined three conditions:
1️⃣ The full text of the implementation order and the referendum process must be made public beforehand.
2️⃣ If the people endorse the charter in a referendum, any note of dissent will become void.
3️⃣ The next elected parliament will exercise its constitutional power to amend the constitution in line with the charter.
The party’s Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adib said, “The NCP is holding informal talks with the government and the commission regarding the legal foundation of the July Charter. Once that is finalized, our election activities will begin in full swing.”
According to party sources, the NCP may finalize a list of potential candidates in early November. However, decisions on forming alliances or seat-sharing will take more time. The party is more likely to contest either independently or as part of a third bloc outside the BNP-Jamaat alliance, with the possibility of limited seat arrangements with some larger parties.
An NCP delegation is scheduled to meet with the National Consensus Commission at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
👉 In summary: The NCP plans to sign the July Charter once its legal framework is resolved and will then move forward with its full election campaign.