The historic ‘July National Charter 2025’ has been signed by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and leaders of the country’s major political parties, promising to restore democracy, protect human rights and reform the state. An important part of the July Charter is its pledge. The leaders of the parties have also signed it.

The July Charter was officially signed at around 5 pm on Friday (October 17), which is considered a document of a new political agreement made in honor of the sacrifices and bloodshed of the people in the July-August 2024 mass uprising. A total of seven commitments have been made to implement this charter.

The pledge began with the declaration of ‘prioritizing the will of the people based on democratic values ​​and national consensus’.

The first commitment is that the 2024 popular uprising is a historic turning point in the long struggle to regain the rights of the people and re-establish democracy. The full implementation of the July National Charter 2025, which was drafted with the opportunities gained through the sacrifice and sacrifice of thousands of people, will be ensured.

In the second phase, it is said that since the people are the owners of the state, their will is the highest law. In the continuation of establishing democracy, political parties are adopting this charter, reflecting the will of the people. Therefore, it is being announced that the charter will be annexed to the constitution as a schedule or appropriately.

The third point states that the validity or necessity of the July National Charter will not be questioned in any court. Rather, legal and constitutional protection will be ensured at every stage.

The fourth commitment is that the people’s 16-year struggle for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and especially the historical significance of the 2024 popular uprising, will be given constitutional and state recognition.

The fifth point of the pledge states that we will ensure the trial of those who were victims of disappearances, murders and torture during the 16-year anti-fascist democratic struggle before the mass uprising and all the killings committed during the mass uprising of July-August 2024, grant state status to the martyrs and provide appropriate assistance to the families of the martyrs, and ensure proper treatment and rehabilitation of the injured.

(This clause was amended in light of the demands of the July warriors before the signing ceremony today. It is newly written, ‘We will provide appropriate assistance to the families of the martyrs and the national heroes of the July wounded, the wounded July warriors, such as monthly allowances, good medical treatment, rehabilitation measures, and ensure legal immunity, protection of fundamental rights and security of the families of the martyrs and the wounded warriors’).

The sixth phase has called for reforms in the constitution, electoral system, judiciary, public administration, police structure and anti-corruption system. It has been pledged to amend or formulate new laws, rules and regulations necessary for their implementation.

The final point is that the interim government will implement the decisions included in the July Charter that are immediately implementable as soon as possible – without any delay.

The foundation of the July National Charter 2025 is the mass uprising of July-August 2024, which is considered an important turning point in the country’s political history. During that time, thousands of citizens took to the streets to protest the misrule, state repression, economic mismanagement, and social injustice of the dictator Sheikh Hasina. In that movement, more than a thousand people were killed and more than 20,000 people were injured and maimed. At one point, on August 5, 2024, the dictator Sheikh Hasina fled the country and took refuge in India.