Friendly Relations with India Impossible While They Shelter Hasina
Nahid Islam, Convenor of the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), has stated that friendly relations with India cannot be established as long as they provide shelter to [Sheikh] Hasina. He alleges that by sheltering Hasina, India is supporting the “July Genocide.” He warned that if India does not change its stance, the Bangladesh-India relationship will remain frosty.
Nahid Islam made these comments during a briefing on the current political situation held at the NCP’s central office on Sunday afternoon (November 2nd).
Views on Political Reforms and the July Charter
Nahid Islam made several accusations regarding the political process:
• Reform Sabotage: He alleged that one group is sabotaging the reforms, while another group wants to postpone the election.
• Referendum Timing: He believes that if the July Charter’s legal basis is established, holding the referendum on the same day as the election would not be a problem.
• Alliance Condition: He stated that joining an alliance is impossible with any group that does not support the reforms.
Criticism of the Implementation Order
He criticized the government for changing the text of the implementation order under pressure from a certain party:
“We support the provision in the first draft of the implementation order which stipulated that reform proposals would be automatically incorporated into the constitution after 270 days,” he said. “If this provision is violated, we will have to reconsider whether we will support the order.”
Electoral Symbol and Dr. Yunus
Regarding the electoral symbol issue, Nahid Islam complained that the Election Commission is hindering their work as a new party instead of offering assistance. He said that the decision regarding the ‘Shapla Koli’ (water lily bud) symbol could have been given a month earlier, affirming, “We want the Shapla [Koli].”
He concluded by stressing the importance of the July Charter’s issuance:
“Whether the referendum is held before or after the election is not the main crisis. However, the July Charter must be issued by Dr. Yunus. If the President signs it, it will be a nail in the coffin of reform.”
