Mustak Ahmed (Rajshahi University) has posted Illegitimate Authority and State Capture: The July Charter 2025 and the Collapse of Democratic Order in Bangladesh on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
The July Charter of 2025 represents a defining moment in the constitutional and political history of Bangladesh. Announced by an unconstitutional occupying authority, the Charter not only contradicts the 1972 Constitution-the foundational legal document of the nation-but also reflects the systematic erosion of democratic norms and the institutionalization of authoritarian control. This paper explores the July Charter as a legal nullity and a manifestation of state capture, focusing on its implications for sovereignty, constitutional legitimacy, and civil rights. Drawing on comparative constitutional theory, historical precedents of illegitimate governance, and the jurisprudence of constitutional order, this study argues that the July Charter amounts to an act of treason under Article 7 and Article 142 of the Constitution of Bangladesh. The research further examines how constitutional manipulation has become a political strategy for maintaining power under the guise of reform, and how citizens, civil society, and the judiciary have responded to this constitutional subversion.