NCP seeks coordinated response to measles outbreak in Bangladesh

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has called for the declaration of a national emergency over the growing measles outbreak in Bangladesh, warning that the health situation involving children across the country has become deeply alarming.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s temporary headquarters in the capital’s Banglamotor on Sunday afternoon, NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan urged both the government and opposition parties to move beyond political confrontation and work together to address the crisis.

He said the worsening spread of measles requires immediate and coordinated national action, adding that the health emergency should be treated as a collective responsibility rather than a political issue.

Asif Mahmud also demanded a thorough investigation into the sudden rise in measles infections, questioning whether negligence or administrative failures contributed to the outbreak spreading across the country.

Alongside health concerns, the NCP used the press conference to announce a preliminary list of 100 candidates for upcoming upazila and municipality-level local government elections. The party also pressed the government to publish a clear election roadmap and timeline, arguing that uncertainty over the polls could undermine public confidence.

The NCP spokesperson further alleged that allowing incumbent city corporation administrators to contest mayoral elections while remaining in office could compromise electoral neutrality. He criticised several administrators for failing to maintain civic order and accused them of neglecting responsibilities in urban management.

Addressing law and order issues, Asif Mahmud claimed that mob violence and disorder remain a concern and said the authorities have yet to effectively control such incidents.

He also raised concerns over recent killings of Bangladeshi nationals along the Bangladesh-India border, urging the government to summon the Indian High Commissioner and seek explanations over the incidents.

Additionally, he criticised reported communal violence against Muslims in India’s West Bengal state and called on Bangladesh to strengthen its diplomatic preparedness in dealing with regional tensions.