BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has accused Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus of violating the July Charter through his latest national address.

In an immediate reaction on Thursday, Salahuddin said the Chief Adviser’s announcement of forming a “Constitution Reform Council” was a new idea that had never been discussed in the Consensus Commission.

Earlier in the day, in his televised address to the nation, Chief Adviser Dr Yunus said several key provisions had been introduced to implement the July Charter. These include holding a referendum on the Charter’s constitutional reform proposals and subsequently forming a Constitution Reform Council.

According to the Chief Adviser, if the majority votes “yes” in the referendum, the council—comprising elected representatives—will be formed, and its members will also serve as members of parliament.

He added that the council will complete its reform work within 180 working days from the start of its first session. Within the next 30 working days, an upper house will be formed based on proportional representation of the election results. Its tenure will continue until the end of the lower house’s term.

The Chief Adviser also announced that the referendum on the July Charter would be held on the same day as the upcoming national election—an issue BNP had long been demanding. However, eight other political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, earlier called for holding the referendum before the polls.