The National Citizen’s Party (NCP) has criticized the government’s decision to announce the electoral roadmap before finalizing the “July Charter,” calling it a breach of commitment. The party warned that moving ahead with election preparations without settling the framework for implementing the charter could lead to future political crises for which the government would be held responsible.

The remarks came on Thursday evening during a press conference at the party’s central office in Banglamotor, Dhaka.

Earlier that day, the Election Commission released the roadmap for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. In response, the NCP arranged the press briefing.

Reading out a written statement, NCP’s senior joint convener Ariful Islam said that the people’s expectation from the interim government—formed after the July uprising and the sacrifices of thousands—was justice and reform. To achieve this, various reform commissions were formed, and like other parties, the NCP also provided its recommendations. Recently, the Consensus Commission circulated a draft of the “July Charter” to political parties for feedback. NCP submitted its views, but the draft’s lack of a clear plan for implementation left them disappointed.

According to Ariful Islam, the chief adviser’s unilateral announcement regarding the election timetable during ongoing discussions on the July Charter came as a shock. “For the greater good, we accepted the proposal that elections could be held before the holy month of Ramadan in 2026. But meaningful progress on justice and reform was supposed to come first,” he said.

He further noted that the government was expected to present a roadmap for reforms before unveiling an election roadmap. Announcing election schedules without finalizing how the July Charter will be implemented is, in his words, a violation of the promises made by the Consensus Commission and the interim government.

Ariful Islam clarified that the NCP is not opposed to elections and sees the roadmap as a positive step. However, he stressed that the faster the July Charter gains legal recognition, the sooner a credible election can take place. If reforms are ignored and election preparations move forward prematurely, he warned, the government will bear full responsibility for any resulting crisis.

NCP’s chief organizer (southern region), Abdullah, added that people now aspire to a new form of politics based on justice and reform. To strengthen grassroots connections, the party is launching an initiative titled “Constitution in Every Yard,” which will begin in 27 upazilas from August 29 to September 1.

Responding to a question on the legal status of the July Charter, NCP media cell editor Mushfiq-us-Salehin said: “Elections are essential for Bangladesh, but they must come after giving the July Charter legal foundation. Otherwise, the simultaneous process of implementing the charter and executing the election roadmap could create confrontations and trigger another political deadlock.”

The press conference was also attended by NCP’s southern chief organizer Hasnat Abdullah, joint member secretaries Saif Mostafiz (finance), Zainal Abedin Shishir, as well as party leaders Ataullah, Faridul Haque Khan, Mohammad Morsalin, Rafiqul Islam, Nahid Uddin, and Akram Hossain.