Minister urges dialogue to resolve July Charter row

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the controversy surrounding the July Charter should come to an end through dialogue.

‘We believe the issue should be resolved through discussion. A parliamentary committee has already been formed for this purpose. We call upon the opposition parties to join the committee and help resolve the matter through dialogue,’ he said.

He made the remarks on Sunday while addressing a discussion titled ‘The Role of the Media Under Fascist Rule’, organized by the National Editors' Council (NEC) at the seminar hall of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Dhaka. The event also paid tribute to journalists who sacrificed their lives during the 2024 mass uprising.

Referring to the July Charter, Mirza Fakhrul said attempts were being made to create confusion over its implementation.

‘The charter clearly states that on issues where political parties failed to reach consensus, the party elected to govern the country will implement its own manifesto. Unfortunately, we continue to overlook this provision,’ he said.

The minister expressed confidence that Bangladesh would be able to establish a state based on justice and fairness. He added that the government was working to fulfill the commitments made by the BNP.

Speaking about the banned Awami League, the BNP Secretary General alleged that the party had destroyed the country's democratic institutions by establishing a one-party system under BAKSAL and had been responsible for enforced disappearances, killings and widespread repression.

He said that since 1971, the people of Bangladesh had been engaged in a long struggle for their rights, but their aspirations had repeatedly remained unfulfilled. According to him, the 2024 mass uprising had created new hope and opened an opportunity to rebuild the state, which should be utilized properly.

Mirza Fakhrul acknowledged that the damage caused during the Awami League's 17 years in power could not be fully repaired in such a short period, but stressed that the process of rebuilding had already begun.

Presiding over the event, Mahmudur Rahman, Editor of Amar Desh and Joint Convener of the NEC, said the struggle that began in July was still ongoing and would continue as long as Bangladesh existed.

He emphasized that the role of the media was to ask questions, saying, ‘Journalists have the right to ask questions, and we will not abandon that responsibility.’

Explaining the objectives of the NEC, Mahmudur Rahman said the organization aimed to unite editors from newspapers across the country and move beyond elitism. Another key objective, he added, was to keep the nation constantly vigilant so that no form of fascism could emerge again.

He also urged journalists to move away from sycophancy, arguing that sections of the media had contributed to the rise of authoritarianism through excessive praise and unquestioning support. ‘The National Editors' Council does not believe in such sycophancy,’ he said.

The event was moderated by Abdul Hai Shikder, Editor of the Daily Jugantor, poet and researcher. The welcome address was delivered by Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel, former Press Secretary to the late BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Among others, Mokarram Hossain, Editor of the English daily New Nation; Shafiqul Alam, Editor of Daily Weather and former Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser of the interim government; Salahuddin Muhammad Babar, Editor of Daily Naya Diganta; Kader Gani Chowdhury, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ); Bachir Jamal, Managing Director of the Bangladesh Journalists' Welfare Trust; Shamsi Ara Jaman, mother of martyred journalist Tahir Jaman Priyo; and Farhana Popy, wife of martyred journalist Mehedi Hasan, also spoke at the programme.

The event began with the recitation of the Holy Quran. At the end of the programme, the chief guest and other guests presented Tk 100,000 in cash and commemorative crests to the families of five journalists who were martyred during the July uprising.

-JB/SA