Awami League has to be declared a terrorist political party: Nahid Islam
Nahid Islam, the convenor of National Citizen Party (NCP) has stated, “The Awami League can no longer retain its legitimacy as a political party after 16 years of oppression, persecution and the July massacre. It must be declared a terrorist group.”
He came up with the statement while virtually joining an iftar gathering organised by Narayanganj district unit NCP at the Bangla Bhaban community centre on Monday evening.
The NCP leader further said, “We aspire to engage in a new form of politics that aligns with the expectations and aspirations of the people, aimed at rebuilding Bangladesh.”
Stating that the NCP is currently focused on three key issues, he said, “Those are ensuring justice for the July massacre, reforming the state and electing a constituent assembly to amend the constitution. Securing visible justice before the election is one of our primary demands.”
“We observe an ongoing effort to rehabilitate the Awami League and the NCP has clearly expressed its stance on this matter. The National Citizen Party will resist any attempt to rehabilitate the Awami League by any means necessary,” he added.
Speaking about a new form of politics, Nahid Islam further expressed, “The people of this country do not wish for politics to continue in its old form following the July uprising. We will persist in our efforts towards state reform and constitutional amendment. To achieve this, a constitutional assembly election is essential.”
Speaking as the special guest, NCP’s senior joint convenor, Samantha Sharmin also reiterated Nahid Islam call for a constituent assembly election.
She said, “We must proceed towards a constituent assembly election. No other election holds any mandate besides that of the constituent assembly. This constitution is a cursed one. It failed to reflect the views of the majority.”
Elaborating the issue further, the NCP spokesperson also said, “There is no trace of the struggles and sacrifices of the younger generation within this constitution. Fundamentally, it is a one-party constitution. This parliament was centred around a single individual. If we wish to encourage the younger generation to engage in politics, we must replace the existing culture of muscle power with a politics of responsibility.”
“This responsibility does not rest solely with the NCP. The uprising was a collective effort involving all parties. Therefore, the responsibility must be shared by all,” Samantha insisted.
The iftar gathering was presided over by Abdullah Al Amin, joint member secretary of the NCP and moderated by Tamim Ahmed.
Among those present was Shawkat Ali, organiser of the southern region and Ahmedur Rahman, along with others. Leaders from various political parties also attended the event.