Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) and Opposition Chief Whip convener Nahid Islam has issued a stark warning to the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), claiming that the country faces the risk of another mass uprising if the government continues to stall on systemic reforms.
Speaking on Saturday at a major national rally in Suhrawardy Udyan, Nahid accused the BNP of mirroring the "autocratic tendencies" of the previously ousted Awami League.
The event, organized by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, brought together veterans of the July movement and families of those killed in the uprising to demand the full implementation of the July Charter through a public referendum.
Addressing the crowd, Nahid alleged that the BNP has consistently sabotaged reform efforts since taking power. "Even after joining the Consensus Commission, they registered notes of dissent on every significant proposal," he stated.
He further claimed that the BNP is retreating from its promise to hold a public referendum, a move he described as a betrayal of the party’s own historical roots.
The Opposition Chief Whip warned that the current administration is attempting to politicize state institutions once again. "If the BNP insists on leading the nation back down the old road of autocracy, the youth, students, and citizens of this country will be forced back onto the streets," he cautioned.
Nahid also criticized the government’s handling of the economy and the energy sector. He dismissed the distribution of "family cards" and "farmer cards" as superficial fixes that fail to address deeper crises. "While ministers tell Parliament there is no fuel shortage, the reality on the ground is that the government has run out of fuel," he alleged.
Claiming that the administration has seen a rapid decline in public support, Nahid noted that he had never seen a government become so unpopular within its first two months in office.
However, he clarified that the opposition is not seeking to create instability, but rather to ensure that the sacrifices of the July martyrs are honored through genuine structural change.
The rally served as a platform for an 11-party alliance, featuring prominent figures such as Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, LDP Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmad, and Maulana Mamunul Haque.
Collectively, the leaders urged the government to fulfill its electoral and revolutionary mandates to avoid a total collapse of public trust.
