July uprising paved way for election
Staff Reporter :
National Citizens’ Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has said that without the mass uprising on 5 August, the prospect of holding an election would have remained a distant dream for political parties.
Speaking at a street rally held at Faujdari Intersection in Jamalpur town on Monday, as part of the NCP’s “March of July to Rebuild the Nation” programme, Nahid addressed accusations from rival political groups alleging that the NCP is attempting to delay the forthcoming national election.
“Were it not for the student-led and people-powered uprising, citizens would have had to wait another four years to vote under the authoritarian rule of the Hasina government,” he declared.
“We call for justice for the lives lost, the reform of key state institutions, and a truly free and fair election.”
Nahid described the movement as a turning point in the country’s history, asserting that students and ordinary citizens had effectively overthrown a repressive regime, signalling the dawn of a new Bangladesh.
Referring to those killed during the uprising, he stressed that their families do not seek financial compensation but instead yearn for dignity and the fulfilment of the principles for which their loved ones died.
“The concentration of power in the hands of a single individual must end,” he said, calling for the formal declaration of the July Charter by 5 August.
Appealing for broader unity, he added, “Those who failed to unite for their own party’s interest must now come together for the sake of the people and the nation.”
Nahid also welcomed the recent move towards forming a non-partisan Police Commission through national consensus.
“We want a Bangladesh where the police and the Election Commission are free from political influence. The police must be protectors of the people, not enforcers of party will,” he stated.
Several senior NCP leaders, including Dr Tasnim Zara and Joint Member Secretaries Lutfor Rahman and Moshiur Rahman Shuvo, also addressed the gathering.