Referendum on July Charter, polls could be held same day

A referendum on the implementation of the July Charter could be held on the same day as the next general election, a group of legal experts suggested at a meeting with the National Consensus Commission yesterday.

They also opined that issues requiring constitutional amendments should not be enacted through ordinances.

"There was a discussion on the pros and cons of holding a referendum regarding the proposed reforms. This topic will be placed for further discussion with the political parties," said a legal expert, wishing anonymity.

"If the referendum and the national election are held on the same day, political parties may be less likely to object. But if the referendum is held before the election, many may claim that the election is being deliberately delayed," the expert added.

"The results of the referendum could be highly unpredictable. But if the referendum results favour the reforms, political parties will face both political and moral compulsion to accept them," the expert also said.

Speaking on the issue, a commission member confirmed that the matter was discussed but said "nothing was finalised".

The consensus commission yesterday held its second meeting with experts to discuss the methods and procedures for implementing the July Charter.

Law Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, former Justice MA Matin and Moinul Islam Chowdhury, Supreme Court Advocate Sharif Bhuiyan, and Barrister Imran Siddique, along with others, attended the meeting at the Foreign Service Academy.

At the meeting, participants discussed the possibility of seeking an official opinion from the Supreme Court under Article 106 to resolve key constitutional questions related to the July Charter.

It was noted that issues not requiring constitutional amendments could be implemented through ordinances. The law ministry is currently working to identify the recommendations within the charter that are "immediately implementable."

The National Consensus Commission finalised the draft of the July Charter after two rounds of dialogue with political parties.

The draft includes 84 issues on which consensus was reached, with notes of dissent recorded on at least 11 points.