News|ProtestsClashes erupt in Bangladesh’s Dhaka in protests over govt’s new charterProtesters say the “July National Charter”, named after the national uprising that started last July, doesn’t address their concerns.
## Interim Government's New Political Charter
Interim Government's New Political Charter
On Fri, Oct 20, 2023, law enforcement authorities employed tear gas, grenades, and batons to disperse demonstrators outside Bangladesh’s national Parliament complex. The protest was against the interim government's newly drafted political charter.
The charter was formulated over a year following the Gen Z-led demonstrations that resulted in the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has extended an invitation to principal political parties in Bangladesh to endorse the new charter aimed at facilitating political reforms.
The “July National Charter,” named after the national uprisings initiated in July, proposes a roadmap for constitutional amendments, legal modifications, and the introduction of new laws. A National Consensus Commission, established by the Yunus administration, developed the charter following discussions with major political entities, excluding Hasina's Awami League party.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, along with eight other allied parties, have agreed to sign the charter. Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest Islamist party, has yet to make a decision regarding the charter. The recently established National Citizen Party, led by students, has announced it will not participate.
The protest was against the interim government's newly drafted political charter.
The interim government's efforts to implement the charter and conduct the next national election in February 2024 are ongoing. However, the exclusion of Hasina’s party and its affiliates raises questions about the inclusivity of the upcoming elections. The election is scheduled before the commencement of Ramadan in the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people.
Protests against Hasina’s administration began on July 1, 2024, initially led by university students advocating for changes to the public sector job quota system. The demonstrations peaked on August 5, 2024, when protesters entered Hasina’s palace. Hasina subsequently fled to India, where she currently resides in exile. During her tenure, there were widespread allegations of human rights violations, including mass detentions and extrajudicial killings.
The United Nations has reported that up to 1,400 individuals may have died during the uprisings last year. Hasina has not complied with court orders to attend her ongoing trial, which involves charges related to crimes against humanity. Bangladesh has requested India to repatriate Hasina to face judicial proceedings.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.