বাংলা | Epaper

বাংলা E-Paper 📍 Dhaka 📅 Monday | 26 October 2026, 10 Kartik 1433 PID registration number 06

HEADLINE

● PM meets JICA chief ● Highway Police urge alternate routes amid Demra Bridge repair ● Students are future leaders of nation: President Fakhrul ● Six more die with measles symptoms; All 78 new cases from Dhaka ● Keraniganj factory fire brought under control, one killed ● Do players receive cash prizes for winning the Ballon d'Or? ● BNP announces nationwide rallies, tributes for Nov 7

Nahid Islam warns PM may follow Hasina's path without reforms

Published : Monday, 26 October, 2026 at 4:41 PM

Observer Online Report

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam has warned that BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman could follow the path of Sheikh Hasina unless Bangladesh reforms its state institutions and political system.

He said changing the country's leadership without reforming its authoritarian structures would not bring meaningful change.

Nahid made the remarks while speaking to journalists in the Kachari area of Munshiganj town on Monday afternoon, following a meeting at a party centre in the area.

The meeting was organised to review the NCP's organisational progress and formulate party strategies ahead of the upcoming local government and national elections.

Nahid alleged that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had never facilitated a peaceful transfer of power and had attempted to consolidate its control whenever it came to power.

Expressing doubts about the fairness of the upcoming local government elections, he alleged that the BNP was planning to manipulate the electoral process. He warned that the party would not be allowed to remain in power for another five years if it attempted to implement such plans at the grassroots level.

He also accused the BNP of attempting to bring the Election Commission under its control and exploring ways to exert influence over the caretaker government system.

Nahid said the NCP was preparing for the local government elections but remained concerned about whether the polls would be fair. The appointment of administrators to city corporations and the announcement of candidates by the state minister for local government had further fuelled those concerns, he added.

He accused the BNP of delaying decisions on the caretaker government system while attempting to install people of its choice, saying the NCP would oppose such efforts.

Referring to the history of the caretaker government system, Nahid said the demand emerged during the mass uprising of 1990 and was accepted by the political parties involved in the movement.

He alleged that the BNP had rejected the demand in 1996 and attempted to remain in power through a one-sided election, but was eventually forced to step down following protests.

Referring to the political crisis of 2006, he accused the BNP of creating controversy over the caretaker government system and attempting to appoint a preferred chief adviser by politicising the judiciary.

Nahid said both the Awami League and the BNP had attempted to consolidate power at different times, adding that the Awami League had succeeded in doing so while the BNP had failed.

He also claimed there was no possibility of Sheikh Hasina returning to Bangladesh in December and accused the BNP of becoming authoritarian like the Awami League.

Accusing India of exerting pressure on Bangladesh, the NCP chief alleged that New Delhi was using the Awami League to carry out activities aimed at putting the country under pressure.

Regarding the caretaker government system, Nahid said a formula based on the NCP's proposed ranked-choice method should be adopted.

NCP Senior Joint Convener Sarjis Alam said the party was preparing to field candidates in 4,600 union parishads in the upcoming local government elections.

The meeting was attended by NCP Joint Convener and Narayanganj-4 MP Abdullah Al Amin, Sarwar Tushar, Ali Ahsan Junayed, Dhaka North organisational secretary Saiful Haider, assistant organisational secretary Shawkat Ali and other local and central leaders.

The participants discussed the party's organisational progress, election strategies and preparations for upcoming local government polls.

sks