Political parties to sign July Charter soon: Chief Advisor

The chief advisor to the interim government, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has said that the country’s political parties will soon sign the July Charter. He said that these reforms have been made with an aim to prevent the rise of another dictator in Bangladesh.
He said this during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday (September 24). Later, the chief advisor’s deputy press secretary, Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar, gave this information citing the meeting.
He said that the two leaders discussed various important issues in the meeting. These included the upcoming national elections in Bangladesh, reform measures taken by the interim government, the recent devastating floods in Pakistan, enhancing bilateral trade and investment and regional cooperation.
The chief advisor expressed deep grief and condolences over the recent floods in Pakistan that claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people. At the time, Shehbaz Sharif cited the increasing impact of climate change as a reason for the frequency and intensity of such disasters.
In the meeting, Dr. Yunus said that Bangladesh is on track to hold national elections in February. He expressed hope that the major political reforms proposed by the 11 National Commissions will pave the way for meaningful political transformation in Bangladesh. He also expressed hope that the final stages of negotiations between the National Consensus Commission and political parties are underway and that the parties will soon sign the July Charter on the main issues of constitutional and political reforms.
The two leaders also discussed alternative ways to strengthen regional cooperation as SAARC has become virtually inactive. In the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif invited Dr. Yunus to visit Pakistan before the end of the term of the interim government.
National Security Advisor Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Principal Secretary to the Principal Adviser Siraj Uddin Mia and Chief Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals Lamia Morshed were present in the meeting.