Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip, Nahid Islam, has sharply criticized the ongoing border killings and the erection of new fences, declaring that diplomatic friendship cannot coexist with lethal hostility.
Speaking at a discussion in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon, Nahid warned that if the government fails to protect the country's borders and secure its rightful share of transboundary river waters, the public will take matters into their own hands.
"Friendship is not possible with those who talk of amicable ties while erecting barbed wire and killing our citizens," he stated. He expressed optimism that the people across the border would eventually tear down these fences to forge genuine ties with the people of Bangladesh.
The remarks were made at an event titled "Shapla Massacre: A Decade of Impunity," organized by the NCP-backed National Ulama Alliance at the Institute of Diploma Engineers. The gathering commemorated the May 5, 2013 crackdown on Hefazat-e-Islam activists in Dhaka's Motijheel area.
During his address, Nahid drew a direct parallel between the lack of justice for the 2013 violence and the recent casualties during the July mass uprising.
He argued that the impunity granted to the "fascist" Sheikh Hasina administration over the Shapla Square incident laid the groundwork for further atrocities. Had the state apparatus and political actors responsible for 2013 been held accountable, he noted, the July massacre could have been prevented.
Touching upon regional geopolitics and communal harmony, the NCP leader alleged that Muslims are facing oppression across the border. He warned of potential propaganda campaigns designed to falsely portray Hindus in Bangladesh as victims of persecution, which he claimed could be used to justify violence against Muslims in the neighboring country.
Countering this narrative, Nahid highlighted that madrasa students actively guarded Hindu temples following the July uprising and reaffirmed a staunch commitment to protecting all minority communities in Bangladesh.
Reflecting on the events of 2013, Nahid also directed criticism toward the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He argued that as the primary opposition party at the time, the BNP failed to take a decisive leadership role when a large segment of the population was facing a brutal political crackdown.
Concluding his speech, Nahid condemned previous regimes for creating deep societal divisions, particularly between mainstream students and those in the madrasa education system.
He pledged that his political platform will work tirelessly to protect the civil rights of all citizens--Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians alike--while steadfastly defending the nation's sovereignty and Islamic values.
