Dhaka: Opposition Chief Whip and Convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), Nahid Islam, on Thursday told Parliament that the President needs to be removed and arrested. ‘The President has no right to stay at Bangabhaban to come here and give a speech,’ he stated while participating in the thanksgiving motion on the President’s speech.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Nahid Islam claimed that he was appointed as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Commissioner with three specific goals: to confirm the corruption allegations against Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman, to absolve the Awami League from the Padma Bridge corruption allegations, and to cancel corruption cases against Sheikh Hasina and other Awami League leaders during the Fakhruddin-Moinuddin government. Islam also questioned how the BNP government continues to recognize and accept such a person as the President.
Nahid accused President Shahabuddin Chuppu of being the mastermind behind handing over Islami Bank to S Alam and criticized his role during the July genocide, alleging connections with fascism. He expressed disappointment that a corrupt and deceitful individual remains the President of Bangladesh. Furthermore, Nahid accused the government of betraying the aspirations of the July Mass Uprising and failing to implement necessary constitutional changes.
Discussing international relations, Nahid pointed out the repeated emphasis on improving relations with India after the BNP government came to power, questioning the basis for this relationship. He stressed that while Bangladesh seeks to improve relations with its neighbor, this development should be grounded in dignity and equality.
Referring to a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report, Nahid highlighted that 59.41 percent of government party candidates running for election have debts. He noted that members of parliament owe 11,000 crore taka, primarily from the government party, and criticized the current Bangladesh Bank Governor for rescheduling debts to benefit businessmen, undermining public trust.
Nahid also criticized the BNP’s ‘Note of Dissention’ in the July National Charter, claiming it tainted the document. He recounted how all parties, including the Prime Minister, participated in a referendum with the aim of reforms, only for the BNP to adopt a different stance post-election. Nahid argued that the BNP should have clarified its position on the referendum before the election, deeming their later dissent as misleading.