No place for India or Pakistan-aligned politics in Bangladesh: Nahid

Nahid Islam, the convenor of the newly formed political party, National Citizen Party (NCP), has stated that there will be no place for India or Pakistan-aligned politics in Bangladesh, emphasizing that the country must never be divided again.

He made these remarks on Friday (February 28) during the launch event of the new party, held at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital at 6:30 PM.

Nahid Islam further added, "We want to focus on the future. We want to talk about the dreams ahead."

Afterwards, Nahid Islam began reading his written statement, which was handed over to the media by the National Citizens’ Committee. The declaration was read as follows:

In the context of the student-public uprising of July 2024, led by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and initiated by the National Citizens’ Committee, we, the students and people of Bangladesh, hereby declare:

We stand with a rich and unique culture as the people of the Bengal delta in the historical trajectory of thousands of years. After a long struggle against nearly 200 years of British colonial rule, Pakistan was formed in 1947. However, the liberation of the people of this land from exploitation and discrimination did not occur. As a result, in the continuation of the 23-year struggle, the Great Liberation War of 1971 resulted in the formation of the independent state of Bangladesh, through the sacrifice of millions of martyrs. But after independence, the people of Bangladesh had to fight repeatedly for democracy. In 1990, the student-public brought down a military dictatorship with their blood. Yet, even after more than five decades of independence, we have not been able to establish a political arrangement that guarantees democracy, equality, human dignity, and social justice. Instead, for the last 15 years, a brutal fascist regime has been established, using state institutions recklessly for the ruling party's interests and destroying democracy. Opposing voices have been silenced, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, widespread corruption, and money laundering have become part of the state culture.

In July 2024, the student-public, through enormous sacrifice, led an unprecedented uprising, bringing down the fascist government that had entrenched itself for a decade and a half. However, we must remember that this newly gained freedom, earned at the cost of thousands of martyrs, was not for the purpose of replacing one government with another. Rather, the people responded to this uprising with the hope of dismantling the fascist system deeply rooted in the state and establishing a new political arrangement, aiming to rebuild the state based on people's rights. With this vision in mind, we are announcing the establishment of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP). It will be a democratic, egalitarian political party representing the people.

We believe that the July 2024 mass uprising marks the beginning of our struggle to establish a Second Republic. Through the drafting of a new democratic constitution, we must eliminate all possibilities of constitutional dictatorship. Our primary goal in the Second Republic will be the drafting of a new constitution through a Constituent Assembly election. In our Second Republic, we will build a strong defense system to safeguard national interests. We will prioritize rebuilding the collapsed political, social, economic, and cultural institutions while preserving their democratic character. Only through this can we emerge as a fully democratic state.

We seek the development of a political culture where, instead of division at every level of society and state, unity, justice instead of revenge, and merit and competence instead of family rule will prevail. There will be no place for corruption or nepotism in our politics.

In our Second Republic, the voices of the marginalized will be brought to the forefront. In our republic, the people—only the people—will be the ultimate source of power. The strong protection of their democratic and fundamental rights will be the cornerstone of our politics. We aim to create a pluralistic and prosperous society by preserving the ethnic, social, gender, religious, and cultural values and diversity present in the state. Our republic will offer robust protection to all citizens from poverty, inequality, and the abuse of power. In the Second Republic, no part of the people of Bangladesh will be alienated. Instead, every citizen of the state will be treated with equal importance, and their security will be ensured.

In economics, we aim to build a national economy that is self-sufficient, income inequality-free, and sensitive to life, nature, and the environment through proper coordination of the agriculture, service, and production sectors. In our economy, resources will not be concentrated in the hands of a specific group; instead, there will be an equitable redistribution of resources. We will take strong steps to regulate the private sector syndicates and group interests to protect consumer and public interests. Through economic progress, we will ensure regional cooperation and international partnerships to position ourselves as a strong nation in the region, and by focusing on science and technology, we will develop an innovative culture to build a sustainable, modern economy.

Finally, we want to reaffirm our commitment to establishing a just and equitable society. We firmly believe that the July 2024 mass uprising was not only a victory against a fascist regime but also a pledge to build our future. Let us come together, hand in hand, to create a Bangladesh where the voice of every citizen will resonate, where the establishment of justice and the struggle for human rights will be one of the main goals of politics, and where equality and human dignity will be the foundation of the state. The time is now—to dream new dreams, to embark on new journeys, and to build a new Bangladesh!

In the construction of this new Bangladesh, we all, from our respective positions, take an oath. Let us unite and move forward resolutely in the struggle to establish our desired Second Republic. Our country, our rights, our future—our Second Republic is not an unattainable dream, it is our pledge!