Nahid Islam accuses India of conspiring to foil Feb 12 polls
Staff Reporter :
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Saturday alleged that a neighbouring country is engaged in conspiracies surrounding Bangladesh’s upcoming national election, warning that any form of foreign interference would be rejected by the people.
Nahid made the remarks while speaking as a special guest at a pre-election rally organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami–led 11-party alliance at the HJ Pilot High School ground in Chauddagram upazila of Cumilla.
The programme drew supporters of Jamaat-backed candidates from the Cumilla-10 (Nangalkot) and Cumilla-11 (Chauddagram) constituencies.
“A neighbouring country is engaged in various conspiracies surrounding the election,” Nahid said.
“By openly taking a stance against the 11-party alliance, they are siding with a particular political party.” He argued that such actions contradict Bangladesh’s sovereignty and democratic norms.
Warning against external influence, Nahid said the country’s electorate would respond decisively to any attempt at interference.
“If any neighbouring country attempts to interfere in the electoral process, the people of this country will respond for themselves,” he told the rally.
Placing the election in a broader political context, Nahid said the vote was not an isolated or sudden event but a continuation of the July mass uprising, which he said had opened the path toward a democratic electoral process.
He described the ongoing anti-fascist movement as an effort to establish a state founded on justice, protection of citizens’ rights and accountability in governance.
Nahid also pledged that, if the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance forms the government, ensuring justice for the July massacre and the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi would be among its top priorities.
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman attended the programme as the chief guest, while Jamaat Naib-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher presided over the event.
Other speakers echoed calls for unity among political forces to ensure a free, fair and neutral election and to safeguard the rights of citizens.
The rally in Cumilla comes as campaign activities intensify across the country, with sovereignty, foreign influence and the legacy of recent political upheavals emerging as central themes in pre-election discourse.