The heads of the three armed forces attended the signing ceremony of the July National Charter 2025 held this Friday afternoon at the South Plaza of the National Parliament, according to the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.

The ceremony was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., but around 1 p.m., a group identifying themselves as “July Fighters” gathered at the venue. Police later dispersed them with batons, leading to clashes, brick throwing, and incidents of arson between the police and the group.

Meanwhile, rain briefly interrupted the situation, and the sky remained cloudy afterward.

At 2:58 p.m., Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam posted on his verified Facebook account that the event might begin a few minutes late due to unfavorable weather conditions. He added, “Everything is in order, and some guests have already arrived at the venue. We are waiting to witness the beginning of a new chapter in our nation’s history.”

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Around 4 p.m., Education Adviser C. R. Abrar, Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Liberation War Affairs Adviser Faruk-e-Azam, Energy Adviser Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Fayez Ahmed Taiyeb were seen at the venue.

Speaking to reporters, Syeda Rizwana Hasan said, “It’s going to be a good charter. There are a few notes of dissent, but our goal will be to minimize those differences and engage those who haven’t signed today. If the commitments made here are implemented, I believe this marks the beginning of a strong democratic journey.”

On his way to the venue, Saiful Haque, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party, described the clashes between police and the “July Fighters” as “embarrassing and unfortunate.” He added, “An incident like this on the day of the charter’s signing sends the wrong message for a movement aimed at national consensus.”

Lawyer and former Islami Chhatra Shibir leader Shishir Monir stated, “The July Fighters raised three demands, which we discussed with the commission. The commission showed great patience and has already amended parts of the charter to address their concerns. There should be no further grievances.”

Amid protests, the National Consensus Commission announced a revision to the fifth clause of the July Charter’s declaration around 2 p.m. through a press release.

It’s worth noting that several parties — including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh — had earlier confirmed their participation in the event. However, the National Citizen Party (NCP) issued a late-night statement on Thursday, declaring it would not sign the charter without legal assurances.

Earlier, four left-leaning parties — Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASAD), BASAD (Marxist), and Bangladesh JASAD — also announced they would not sign the charter unless they received the final revised draft beforehand.