‘Many Are Planning to Turn the Upcoming Election into a Divided Poll’

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), has expressed concern over the lack of a level playing field in the upcoming national parliamentary elections. Speaking with a tone of accusation, he claimed that political parties are attempting to turn the election into a divided or negotiated contest. Those who were once allies are now allegedly engaged in conspiracies.

He made these remarks on Sunday (23 November) at a press conference held at the Shaheed Abu Saeed International Convention Hall in Dhaka.

Expressing his concerns, the NCP convener said that the level playing field that should exist for free and fair elections is nowhere to be seen. “I have spoken about this for a long time. In Bangladesh’s electoral culture, we have witnessed and heard about years of usurpation, misuse of administration, influence of money, circulation of black money, and the use of muscle power. During periods of fascist rule, people were even denied the right to vote. Therefore, our expectation is that this election will be conducted through a democratic and transparent process. We hope that many young, ambitious, and patriotic individuals will be elected to parliament.”

He further stated that the independent and robust role required from the Election Commission, the government, and the administration to ensure a fair election is not visible. “Leaders and activists from various parties are openly talking about controlling the administration and even declaring how it should be managed,” he said.

Nahid Islam highlighted that the ongoing negotiations over the so-called ‘July Charter’ have placed Bangladesh’s political parties in direct opposition. “Those who were once friends are now plotting against one another. They are planning to turn this election into a divided, orchestrated, or negotiated poll. Such an election would undermine democracy in Bangladesh,” he warned.

Speaking about the party’s vision, he said that the National Citizens’ Party is moving forward with its own dreams and promises. “Our participation in this election depends primarily on the trust and support of the people. It is this continuous backing from the public that has brought NCP this far. It is the faith and confidence of the people that will enable NCP to progress further,” he concluded.