Interim government urges anti-fascist parties to resolve charter disputes

Bangladesh’s caretaker administration has given opposition political organizations one week to resolve disagreements about a proposed national referendum and reform measures through independent negotiations.

Law Adviser Asif Nazrul told journalists after an advisory council session that groups that jointly opposed authoritarian rule should meet without government facilitation to produce unified recommendations. The administration will proceed independently if parties cannot settle their differences, he said, following discussions at the chief adviser’s headquarters. Authorities reaffirmed plans to conduct parliamentary voting during the initial six months of 2026.

The emergency gathering addressed the July Charter developed by a national consensus panel, which generated agreement on multiple reform topics but left some matters unresolved. Disputes persist regarding the timing and scope of a potential referendum as well as responses to dissenting positions within the charter framework. Nazrul said receiving coordinated guidance from parties would simplify governmental decision-making, adding that the current circumstances permit no postponement. He characterized the request for unified input as a goodwill gesture rather than a retreat from executive authority, noting that allied movements have collaborated and made significant choices together across 15 years of joint activism.