Consensus on July Charter likely by mid July: Ali Riaz

Professor Ali Riaz, Vice President of the National Consensus Commission, has expressed optimism that a broad political consensus could be achieved by mid or the third week of July. 

He made the remarks on Wednesday during the second phase of the eighth day of dialogue with political parties, held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.

"We aim to build a better Bangladesh through structural reforms. If efforts continue, reaching an agreement by mid-July is possible," Professor Riaz said.

In his opening remarks, he emphasised the importance of understanding the need for state reform through a lens of responsibility and accountability. "We've had open and constructive discussions with political parties. Most parties have agreed on reinstating the caretaker government system. While there are some differences regarding its formation, we are confident the 'July Charter' can be finalised within this month", he noted.

He added that significant progress has been made on key issues such as redrawing constituency boundaries and outlining the caretaker government framework. "We are hopeful that consensus on structural matters can also be achieved within a short time," he said.

Wednesday's dialogue focused on three core issues: electoral boundary delimitation, the caretaker government, and the President's authority to grant clemency.