On a day when several political parties of Bangladesh gathered to sign a new political charter announced by the interim government’s chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus. clashes erupted in several parts of Dhaka, with protesters claiming the concerns of those who ousted Sheikh Hasina from power were not being addressed.
Protests took place outside Bangladesh’s national parliament building, after which tear gas and stun grenades had to be used to disperse the crowd, the Associated Press reported. See photos from the protest here:
Protesters set fire to a kiosk outside the Bangladesh National Parliament complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) Protesters run from police outside the Bangladesh National Parliament complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Oct. 25. 17, AP257. PhotoMaud.
Protesters also entered the parliament building by crossing its main gate before the signing ceremony was held, Bangladeshi news portal bdnews24.com reported.
Some protesters even sat on chairs reserved for guests and started chanting slogans, according to the report.
What is the content of the charter? How many parties signed it?
Dubbed the “July National Charter” following a public uprising in the country in July 2024, the charter provides a blueprint for changes to the nation’s constitution, legal changes and new laws.
On Friday, a new clause was added to the charter in response to demands made by protesters.
The latest addition promises justice for victims of torture, killings and disappearances that took place during the Awami League rule under Sheikh Hasina, as well as those killed during the July-August 2024 uprising.
The charter was signed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and eight like-minded parties, as well as sixteen others, including smaller Islamist parties.
Jamaat-e-Islami, which is the country’s largest Islamist party, was initially unsure about signing the document, but later agreed. The four left-wing parties and the recently formed student-led National Civic Party (NCP) did not sign the charter.
“The signing of the July charter by several political parties does not establish national unity,” NCP convener Nahid Islam said, according to Reuters.
Charter questions
Eminent Bangladeshi lawyer Swadhin Malik has raised alarm over the charter. He said that even if the parties reached a consensus on the charter, the situation its implementation would create would be peculiar because it would supersede the authority of the country’s constitution.
“I have never heard of any such strange scenario taking place anywhere in the world,” he told Channel I television.
