Public welfare can't be achieved with just a change in government: Nahid

The National Citizen Party pays tribute at the National Memorial in its first programme since its establishment

The National Citizen Party, or NCP, will work towards building a Bangladesh that is grounded in the principle of equality for all, according to its Convener Nahid Islam.

“The welfare of the people cannot be achieved by changing the government alone. It is not possible to implement true democracy,” he said Tuesday.

“That is why we say, that since we witnessed a mass uprising in 2024 and the students shed their blood - we do not just want a change in government. Instead, we want to start the journey of a new Bangladesh by making broad constitutional changes, including to the governance structure, so that it will be possible to ensure true democracy, justice and equality.”

Nahid made the remarks after the party’s leaders and activists paid tribute at the National Memorial in Savar on Tuesday as part of the first programme since the NCP was launched.

He said, “We will build a new Bangladesh by embracing the aspirations of the struggle movements of this land – from the struggle for freedom in 1947, to the mighty battle for independence in 1971, and the mass uprising of the students in 2024. The NCP is working towards that goal.”

“We have said that, even though we created an independent state through the Liberation War in 1971, our sovereignty has been repeatedly challenged and our democratic institutions have repeatedly collapsed. We have not been able to build a democratic constitution.”

Nahid was at the forefront of the 36-day movement that ousted the Awami League regime and forced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India. He was one of the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement at the time and then became an advisor to the interim government. On Mar 25, he resigned from his post to join the NCP.

Nahid said, “The seeds of fascism and one-party dictatorship were sown through a one-party constitution. As a result, we have said that we need to build a new republic and that this requires a new constitution and elections for a Constituent Assembly.”