NCP's Nahid warns BNP against ‘autocratic path’ on reforms

National Citizen Party convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam has warned the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party that continued resistance to reforms could trigger another mass uprising.

He made the remarks on Saturday while addressing a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, organised by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The event brought together families of those killed in the July uprising and its participants and called for the implementation of the July Charter in line with a public referendum mandate.

Nahid Islam accused the government of blocking reform efforts since coming to power. “After the mass uprising, the BNP has obstructed reform at every step. When they eventually joined the Consensus Commission, they registered notes of dissent on every major reform proposal,” he said.

He also criticised the party for what he described as a reversal on its earlier support for a referendum. “The very party born through a referendum is now repudiating the referendum after the mass uprising. In doing so, BNP is essentially repudiating its own existence,” he said.

He warned that attempts to politicise state institutions risked repeating past patterns. “If BNP tries to take this country down the old autocratic road, the people of Bangladesh will rise again. The youth will rise again. The students and citizens who took part in the mass uprising will be compelled to return to the streets,” he said.

Turning to governance, Nahid Islam alleged that the government was failing to address key challenges. He said efforts such as issuing family and farmer cards were being used to placate the public, while deeper problems persisted. “Ministers in parliament say there is no fuel crisis, but the government has run out of fuel,” he added.

He further claimed that the government had quickly lost public support. “I don’t know if any government in Bangladesh’s history has become so unpopular in so short a time,” he said, adding that his party was not seeking instability.

“Our sole demand is that the July Charter be implemented in line with the referendum and that the July mass uprising and the families of the martyrs be honoured. We are on the streets and in parliament, and we will secure this demand together,” he said.

The rally was also addressed by Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman, Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmad, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque, and other senior leaders of the 11-party alliance.