Dhaka: National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam today reiterated that the recently announced July National Charter must have a legal foundation, saying such a step is essential to ensure the document truly represents the people’s aspirations.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Nahid stated during a press conference at the party’s temporary office in the capital’s Banglamotor area that without a legal basis, the July Charter would be meaningless. He emphasized that the NCP did not participate in the ceremony because, without legal foundation, the entire initiative would be nothing but deception.
NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain and several senior leaders of the party attended the briefing. Nahid highlighted the failure to maintain the political compromise agreed upon after the 1990 mass uprising among the three major alliances. He argued that any change to an important national instrument like the Constitution now requires a clear legal foundation.
Nahid expressed concerns over efforts to preserve the old fascist framework under the guise of protecting the 1972 Constitution. He noted attempts to sustain and safeguard that order in various ways. The NCP leader attributed the government’s decision to form the Consensus Commission and advance reform talks to pressure from the NCP, other political parties, and the student-public alliance that led the July uprising.
He further stated that the struggle during the July uprising was against a fascist system itself, not just against political figures like Sheikh Hasina or the Awami League. Nahid stressed that structural reform is necessary to solve Bangladesh’s democratic crisis, not merely a change in political leadership.
Addressing the recent clashes between police and “July fighters,” Nahid described the events as an insult to the martyrs’ families and a denial of people’s participation. He suggested that the July Charter would only be meaningful when Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus issues an order giving it a legal foundation. This should be followed by a national referendum, an elected parliament, and a constitutional assembly to draft a new Constitution.
At the briefing, NCP Member-Secretary Akhtar Hossain announced the party’s plans to launch street programmes demanding legal recognition of the July Charter. He noted that while some parties initially wanted to consider the July Charter as a gentleman’s agreement, the NCP insisted on its legal validity.
The NCP also demanded an investigation into the recent clashes between police and July protesters at Manik Mia Avenue.