National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has issued a stern warning against those exploiting the legacy of July’s mass uprising for criminal activities, calling for immediate action from both administrative authorities and law enforcement agencies.
The declaration came during an emergency press conference at NCP’s Banglamotor headquarters on Saturday, where Nahid outlined several critical demands regarding the nation’s political future.
Addressing recent reports of extortion rackets operating under the banner of the July uprising, Nahid emphasised that such criminal behaviour extends beyond anti-discrimination activists to include members of established political parties. “The fight against extortion, terrorism and corruption must become our national mission,” he stated, framing the issue as fundamental to realising the uprising’s original democratic aspirations.
Reflecting on the first anniversary of the historic protests, Nahid acknowledged the unfulfilled promises of the revolution while assigning particular responsibility to the interim government. “With great power comes great responsibility,” he noted, suggesting that partial redemption might still be achieved through proper implementation of the July Charter.
The NCP leader singled out August 3 as a pivotal date – the anniversary of when protesters first articulated their one-point demand for the Awami League government’s resignation and dismantling of fascist structures from Central Shaheed Minar.
In a gesture of political courtesy, Nahid publicly thanked Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal for relocating their planned August 3 gathering to Shahbagh, though he preemptively apologised for inevitable traffic disruptions given concurrent SSC examinations and multiple major events.
The press conference devoted significant attention to constitutional matters, with Nahid welcoming the government’s initiative to formalise a July Charter by August 5 through consultation with all stakeholders. However, he insisted on non-negotiable conditions: the July Charter must establish legal foundations for future elections and governance reforms, with implementation beginning immediately under interim authorities rather than being deferred to some future parliament.
Most crucially, Nahid demanded constitutional recognition of the uprising through specific amendments to the preamble.
Senior NCP leadership including Joint Conveners Samanta Sharmin and Ariful Islam Adib were present during the event.