On Thursday afternoon, interim government Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus held an all-party meeting at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. The meeting, organized by the interim government, included representatives from BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and other political parties, as well as various stakeholders. Following the meeting, participants shared their views, highlighting diverse opinions from different parties regarding the discussions. Below is a brief summary of their statements:

BNP Questions Necessity of Declaration After Five Months

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed emphasized the need to transform national unity into a collective people’s movement, urging efforts to preserve anti-fascist ideals. He raised concerns about the timing of the July uprising declaration, questioning its necessity after five months. Salahuddin stated, “If any political document becomes historically significant, BNP will respect it, but it must include input from all concerned parties.” He added that maintaining unity among anti-fascist forces is a major challenge.

Jamaat-e-Islami Pledges Cooperation

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary-General Mia Mohammad Golam Parwar mentioned that their four-member delegation participated and provided suggestions to avoid instability in drafting the declaration. He affirmed Jamaat’s commitment to supporting the government in this regard.

Ganashanghati Andolon Proposes Drafting Committee

Ganashanghati Andolon Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki proposed the formation of a drafting committee to ensure inclusivity and a methodical approach to preparing the document.

AB Party Suggests Role for Constitution Reform Commission

Asaduzzaman Fuad, Secretary-General of the AB Party, proposed assigning responsibility for the declaration to the Constitution Reform Commission, citing the difficulty of achieving consensus among all parties.

Gono Odhikar Parishad Seeks Transparency

Muhammad Rashed Khan, Secretary-General of Gono Odhikar Parishad, expressed disappointment over the lack of clarity in the Chief Advisor’s statements. He demanded the inclusion of historical movements that preceded the July uprising and raised questions about the authors of the declaration draft.

Islamic Andolon Urges Unity

Islamic Andolon Senior Joint Secretary Kazi Ataur Rahman questioned why student organizations had to issue ultimatums for the declaration. He emphasized reducing political distances and achieving unity on fundamental principles.

Hefazat-e-Islam Demands Inclusion of Shapla Chattar Incident

Hefazat-e-Islam Senior Joint Secretary Mohammad Zunaid Al Habib called for the inclusion of the Shapla Chattar incident in the draft declaration.

Other Parties’ Contributions

Khelafat Andolon: Expressed support for the draft and pledged cooperation.

NDM: Called for inclusivity of all student groups in anti-discrimination movements.

National Citizens’ Committee: Urged swift finalization of the declaration without setting deadlines.

Anti-Discrimination Student Movement: Aspired to gain international recognition for the uprising.

Chief Advisor’s Statement

Professor Muhammad Yunus reiterated that unity is the foundation of the interim government, emphasizing the need to recreate the spirit of the August 5 movement.

Legal Advisor’s Perspective

Professor Dr. Asif Nazrul noted that further discussions would be held to refine the declaration, ensuring it becomes a comprehensive document.

Despite initial uncertainty, the meeting witnessed active participation from various political leaders, including BNP’s Salahuddin Ahmed, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Golam Parwar, Ganashanghati Andolon’s Zonayed Saki, and Gono Odhikar Parishad’s Nurul Haque Nur.