Nahid demands immediate impeachment, arrest of president

Nahid Islam, convenor of the National Citizens' Party (NCP), yesterday (13 March) demanded the swift impeachment and arrest of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, calling him a 'collaborator of fascism.'

"He has violated his oath, there are allegations of corruption against him and he remained indifferent during the genocide," he alleged.

A new president must be elected without delay, he said at the NCP's divisional Iftar in Mymensingh.

He added that despite allegations of election engineering and manipulation, NCP representatives joined the parliament session to respect the institution and to work toward constitutional reforms.

Nahid said they attended parliament with commitments to ensure the effective functioning of the legislature, establish the upper house and carry out constitutional reforms.

"We said we do not want any associate of fascism in this parliament. We want a fascism-free national parliament," he added.

He alleged that although the parliamentary session began positively and his party participated sincerely, the President whom he described as an associate of fascisms was allowed to deliver a speech.

"Allowing him to speak in parliament was a kind of betrayal with the aspirations of July," he said.

At the programme, NCP Chief Coordinator Nasir Uddin Patwari expressed hope that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina would be brought back from India and the death sentence against her carried out.

Nasir also alleged that extortion is taking place in different sectors in Mymensingh including sand trading and bus terminals and called for steps to stop such activities.

He further said some people are trying to profit from the drying up of the Brahmaputra River and urged resistance against such attempts.