NCP sees signs of autocracy in BNP government, threatens protests

The Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) has accused the ruling BNP government of displaying clear signs of autocracy and warned that it will declare the government illegitimate if the referendum verdict favoring constitutional reform is not implemented.

NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan issued the warning at a press conference at the party's office on Sunday (April 5), setting an April 10 deadline for the government to change course or face large-scale street agitation.

Asif Mahmud, a former adviser to the interim government, alleged that the BNP selectively supports only those ordinances that enhance government and prime ministerial power while seeking to scrap provisions that ensure accountability. 

He said the opposition coalition had no plans to take to the streets so soon and had intended to focus on local elections, but the government's actions left them with no alternative.

He criticized the government for constantly invoking the constitution while simultaneously violating it by appointing administrators to local government bodies instead of allowing elected representatives to function. 

He said the executive branch is retaining powers to remove elected local representatives at will, either to oust opposition figures or to coerce them into loyalty, calling it a clear constitutional violation and a grave threat to democracy.

Addressing the handling of 133 ordinances issued during the 18-month interim government, Asif Mahmud said the BNP wants to convert ordinances that consolidate its power into law while discarding those that promote accountability and citizens' rights. 

He cited the information rights ordinance as an example, noting that the previous Awami League government had allowed nearly 18 to 19 agencies unrestricted access to citizens' private communications including WhatsApp messages and phone calls without any accountability. 

The interim government had reduced this power to only four agencies and required legal procedures for surveillance, but the current government is now restoring those sweeping powers, he said.

Regarding the referendum, Asif Mahmud drew a distinction between the current exercise and the referendum held during Ziaur Rahman's era. 

He said the earlier referendum was conducted to create legitimacy for building a loyalist party using intelligence agencies, whereas the current referendum aims at structural reform of the state. 

He warned that if the government refuses to honor the people's mandate expressed through the yes vote, the NCP will immediately label it an illegitimate government without delay.

He also called on former interim government advisers and civil society figures to speak up, urging them to return to the watchdog role they played during the previous Awami League era.

NCP joint convener Sarwar Tushar, who spoke before Asif Mahmud, echoed the criticism and described the current period as dark days in Bangladesh's democratic history. 

He accused the BNP of breaking its election manifesto promise of never appointing administrators by already installing 59 administrators who are either BNP nomination seekers or defeated election candidates.

Tushar alleged rampant partisan appointments across key institutions, claiming the BNP appointed its education affairs secretary as vice-chancellor of Dhaka University despite what he called silent Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's promise to keep education free from political influence. 

He also alleged that the new Bangladesh Bank governor who replaced Ahsan H Mansur is a prominent loan defaulter and a member of BNP's election management committee, directly contradicting the party's manifesto pledge against partisan appointments.

Tushar further accused the government of creating a business monopoly by forming an advisory group comprising select businessmen and said the annulment of the referendum ordinance amounts to questioning the referendum verdict itself. 

He warned that through these actions, the BNP is steering Bangladesh toward parliamentary dictatorship.