Gono Forum to sign July charter today

Gono Forum is set to sign the July National Charter today, after the National Consensus Commission accepted its demand to retain the Proclamation of Independence in the constitution.

According to a press statement issued by the commission, the charter will be signed at 12:00pm at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad.

Confirming the decision, Gono Forum General Secretary Mizanur Rahman said the party agreed to sign the charter as the commission had accepted its demand.

Gono Forum was present at the charter signing event yesterday but refrained from signing, opposing the commission's initial recommendation to remove the Proclamation of Independence issued on April 10, 1971 by the Mujibnagar Government from the constitution. "It is one of the bases of the constitution," Mizanur said.

The National Consensus Commission made last-minute amendments yesterday, including retaining the Proclamation of Independence in the constitution.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Prof Ali Riaz, vice-president of the commission, said the change was made in response to demands from several political parties.

Four left-leaning parties, the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Basod), Bangladesh JSD, and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) had also objected to the removal of both the Declaration of Independence (March 26, 1971) and the Proclamation of Independence (April 10, 1971) from the constitution, as well as the exclusion of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's March 7 speech.

The leftist parties placed further demands and boycotted the charter signing.