Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government will implement the July National Charter in line with the constitution, stressing that the constitution remains the only basis for fulfilling people’s aspirations.
“Everything, including the formation of the government, parliament and lawmakers, has taken place according to the constitution. So it cannot be ignored in the name of implementing the July National Charter,” he said.
He made the remarks while taking part in a discussion on an adjournment motion in the Jatiya Sangsad, with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed in the chair. The motion was scheduled to discuss how the July National Charter will be implemented.
The motion was originally placed on April 1 by ruling party lawmaker Zainul Abdin Farroque from Noakhali-2.
Calling the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025 a “legislative fraud” and “colorable legislation,” the home minister said that although 33 political parties approved the charter, the order did not reflect all agreed points.
Speaking on behalf of the leader of the house, he said there is no need to rewrite the constitution. Instead, the people’s mandate can be implemented through necessary amendments.
Describing the charter as a historic document, he proposed forming a special parliamentary committee with representatives from all political parties to recommend constitutional changes.
Referring to the Fifth Amendment, he questioned the opposition’s position, noting that the amendment introduced during the rule of Ziaur Rahman was later declared void.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman also spoke, urging all sides not to politicize the issue. He said the charter itself provides guidance for implementation and warned against passing laws that may exceed constitutional limits.
Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman called on parliament not to adopt the adjournment motion, noting that a similar motion had earlier been raised without result.
Several lawmakers—including Gazi Enamul Huq, Akhter Hossen, Nazibur Rahman, Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin and Andaleev Rahman—also took part in the discussion.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said this is a rare event in parliamentary history, as it is the first time in 53 years that an adjournment motion from a treasury bench member has been accepted for discussion.
Earlier, on March 30, independent MP Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal had raised a similar motion, which is still pending.
While presenting the motion, Zainul Abdin Farroque said the July National Charter is the result of the July-August movement and years of struggle, calling it a roadmap for the nation’s future.
The Speaker approved the motion under Rule 65(2) and scheduled a two-hour discussion on April 5, 2026, as the final agenda item of the day.