Clashes During Charter Signing Near Dhaka Parliament

The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus held a signing for a non‑binding “July National Charter” proposing constitutional and legal reforms — including stronger checks and balances, expanded presidential authority, term limits and anti‑corruption measures — to be approved by a new parliament after elections Mr. Yunus has pledged for February. The ceremony at the South Plaza of the National Parliament was disrupted by “July Warriors,” families of July martyrs and injured fighters from the July 2024 uprising, who demanded state recognition, legal protection, rehabilitation and welfare. Police moved to clear several hundred protesters using tear gas, stun/sound grenades and batons; witnesses said some demonstrators vandalized a police vehicle and set fire to event furniture. Accounts of casualties varied, with one outlet reporting about 10 hurt and another saying at least 20 people were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with non‑critical injuries. The charter was signed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and allied parties but not by the Awami League, which the interim government has banned.