Opposition chief whip and National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam has warned of a mass movement and mass uprising if the government does not implement the July Charter in line with the referendum verdict. “If the government does not implement the July Charter in line with the referendum verdict, we will be forced to go as far as a mass movement and mass uprising,” he said at a divisional rally of the 11-party alliance at the Hemayet Uddin Eidgah ground in Barishal on Saturday (18 July).
Nahid Islam said the party had not yet given any hard-line programme such as strikes or blockades, but was ready to do so at any time. “We were not in favour of such a programme in Bangladesh at this moment. But the government and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman are gradually pushing the situation in that direction,” he said. He accused the prime minister of speaking sweetly but acting deceptively, saying that despite campaigning for a “yes” vote on the referendum and July Charter, and despite 70 percent of people voting for reform, he was not implementing the charter while claiming he would implement it “to the letter.” “During the uprising we had a slogan — ‘cut the drama.’ I say the same to Tarique Rahman: cut the drama,” Nahid said. He alleged that the BNP had fought for democracy for 16 years but had been fighting against democracy since 5 August, claiming the party had never been for democracy but for power, and no longer spoke of reform after gaining power through the election.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report