July Proclamation: BNP decides to attend all-party meeting with CA
Mixed responses have been received from different political parties on attending the meeting, which will be held this afternoon
Highlights:
- BNP, some parties criticised the invitation as informal and unclear
- Some parties like LDP and 12-Party Alliance will not attend; some undecided
- Several parties including Islami Andolan and NDM will send representatives
- The meeting aims to finalise the July Proclamation for political unity and reforms
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has decided to attend the all-party meeting with Chief Adviser (CA) Prof Muhammad Yunus over the July proclamation today (16 January).
The party's Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed will join the discussion scheduled to begin at 4pm, confirmed BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan in the afternoon.
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Since morning, uncertainty was created over the BNP attending the meeting, with Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir saying they were yet to decide and Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku saying they would not participate.
Tuku had said that only Salahuddin would go out of courtesy and inform the organisers that they would not attend the meeting, which is scheduled to be held this afternoon from 4pm to 7pm.
Later in the day, however, Salahuddin said, "No decision has been made that BNP will not attend the all-party meeting. However, discussions are ongoing at the top level of the party about how we might participate. Please wait."
Talking to The Business Standard this morning, Tuku expressed deep dissatisfaction over the organisation of the all-party meeting, saying, "The way the students spoke was inappropriate. Personally, I did not like how they extended the invitation.
"Mass uprisings have happened before, haven't they? Like in 1969? Back then, we were not independent, yet there was no such trouble."
Asked why they would not attend the meeting, Tuku said, "Is this the way to invite someone? Is this some informal programme that they would just call and invite? The BNP has its own movement and strategy. What the students are doing is separate."
Meanwhile, the party has called a joint meeting today at 2:30pm at the BNP's central office in Nayapaltan. A press conference will be held afterwards.
BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan told TBS that Secretary General Fakhrul, who was in Thakurgaon, is likely to arrive in Dhaka by 1pm. "He will discuss the matter with others and let the media know."
What other parties say
Reached for comment, 12-Party Alliance spokesperson Shahadat Hossain Selim told TBS, "We are not attending today's meeting because the matter of the invitation is unclear to us. We will hold a press conference on this issue at 4pm."
Talking to TBS, Ganatantra Mancha Chief Coordinator Hasnat Kaiyum said they are holding a meeting to decide whether they would join today's meeting. "A decision will be announced after the meeting."
Shahidul Islam Kabir, the media coordinator of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, said, "We were invited yesterday, and one of our representatives will attend the meeting."
Zonayed Saki, the chief coordinator of Ganasanhati Andolan, said they were also holding a meeting to decide on attending the all-party meeting.
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said, "We did not receive the invitation properly. We heard that an invitation was sent through a text message by Adviser Mahfuz Alam, asking for one person to attend.
"We are still unsure whether we will go. Such an important discussion cannot be held in a rush. First, we need to understand whether this invitation is a personal initiative or a state initiative. We will discuss within the party and then decide."
Nationalist Democratic Movement Chairman Bobby Hajjaj said, "We received an invitation from Adviser Mahfuz Alam, mentioning that there will be a discussion regarding the July Proclamation. However, no further details were provided.
"Since we have been invited, a representative from my party will attend to listen to the discussion."
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will not participate in the all-party meeting with the CA today, Salah Uddin Razzak, the press secretary of the party's President Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed Bir Bikram, confirmed reporters this morning.
About the all-party meeting
Earlier, at a press briefing on 14 January, Adviser Mahfuj Alam had announced that the all-party meeting with the CA will be held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital from 4pm to 7pm today.
The July Proclamation is a proposed declaration intended to consolidate the unity, anti-fascist spirit, and desire for state reform that emerged during the July uprising.
The interim government has initiated its preparation based on national consensus, incorporating views from participating students, political parties, and stakeholders, including the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement that led the uprising.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens' Committee have been advocating for the proclamation's announcement by 15 January.
"We have discussed the draft of the July Uprising Proclamation with various organisations involved in the movement, including the BNP, Jamaat, and the Ganasamhati Andolan," Mahfuj told the media.
"They have agreed on most points. There are some disagreements. We will know the date of the declaration and what will be on it after the meeting on Thursday," he added.
"The way the students led the July movement and brought results, the students will also announce the July Proclamation, and we all will stand by them," he said.
