BNP turned against democracy after coming to power: Nahid

Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has said the BNP spent the past 16 years speaking of democracy but now has taken an anti-democratic stance after coming to power.

"There is a proverb that 'whoever goes to Lanka becomes Ravana'. In the same way, the current ruling force has 'become Ravana', forgetting the blood and sacrifices of the people," he said at the triennial conference of Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka today (11 April).

Nahid added that Bangladesh's history repeatedly shows that workers have made the greatest sacrifices in national struggles, from the 1947 independence movement to the 1971 Liberation War and various mass uprisings, including the 2024 uprising. 

He said most of those who were killed were working-class people.

He added that the new government had come to power on the sacrifices of workers and students but had "betrayed" those commitments within a short time. He also accused the government of ignoring the mandate of the referendum, calling the government "anti-people".

He further alleged that key reform commitments during the transitional period, including human rights legislation, police reform and ensuring judicial independence, had not been fulfilled.

"Although they promised to turn these into laws, they did not keep their word," he said. "In Bangladeshi politics, those who break promises never end well. This government will also have to pay the price for its broken commitments."

Calling on workers to prepare for street mobilisation, he said the struggle would not be limited to parliament. "We must prepare not only for parliament but also for the streets." 

He said, "Through street movements, we will realise the aspirations of the July Charter and the referendum. The government will be compelled to meet every demand for workers' rights."