National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam has called on former chief adviser of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, to take to the streets and join protests amid the ongoing political situation.
He said, “We gave them power through the blood of the people. They have disappointed us. But to preserve whatever achievements were made during that time, they too must come to the streets. Therefore, I am also calling on Dr Muhammad Yunus to join these protests on the streets.”
He said these words to journalists on Saturday, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after returning to the country upon completing umrah.
Nahid Islam alleged that the current government is not converting into laws the important ordinances issued during the interim government’s tenure. On this matter, he said, “Dr Muhammad Yunus, along with our law adviser Asif Nazrul and all other advisers who played important roles, must take responsibility. They were the ones who issued these ordinances. Why did they issue them? Now that they are being revoked, they must speak up.”
He further said, “Dr Muhammad Yunus and all the advisers issued ordinances, engineered an election, handed over power to the BNP, and left. Now these laws and ordinances will be revoked. There will be no reforms. And they will not say anything – that cannot happen. They too must stand before the court of public opinion.”
Nahid Islam claimed that unity among political parties is crucial in the current situation, especially to tackle a potential economic crisis ahead. In his view, the government cannot manage the situation without the people’s trust.
He said, “With the economic downturn that lies ahead, if the people do not have even minimal trust in the government, this government will not be able to function.”
Criticising the current parliamentary situation, he said, “What is happening in the National Parliament is a kind of drama,” and accused the government of avoiding important issues.
Indicating that they would continue movements on the streets alongside parliament, he said, “Since we are not finding adequate solutions in parliament, we are being forced to take a stand on the streets.”
