No chance of election without implementing July Charter: Nahid

There is no possibility of holding elections in the country unless the July Charter is implemented, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam said today (29 October).

"The implementation of the July Charter and the roadmap for the trial of genocide must be advanced to progress justice. For the country's stability, a swift election is desired. However, the necessary reform work must be completed quickly," he said.

Nahid came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after a discussion with some candidates for the formation of conveners' committees of eight districts and city units of the party under Rangpur division, held at the Rangpur Tourism Motel.

The country is facing multifaceted crises and that fallen authoritarian forces are plotting conspiracies, he said adding, "To address these crises, national unity is essential. We need to resolve differences among our parties and work together.

"No single party can take over leadership and form a government alone. Without minimum unity among all parties, it will not be possible for anyone to form a government or sustain parliament."

He also said ignoring the people's minimum demands for reform and justice will make any election unsustainable.

"For durable and stable change, we want to implement minimum reforms, including some constitutional amendments. If obstacles arise or the government delays the process, both the government and the obstructing forces will have to face the people," he added.

Referring to the alliances, Nahid said people have little trust in old political parties. "The Awami fascist group has been expelled from the country. Over the past 16 years, many failed to stand with the people. Past misdeeds of various parties exist. The BNP's tenure has faced criticism for corruption and they were also criticised after 5 August."

"Jamaat historically bears responsibility and was also criticised after the July uprising. Therefore, any alliance must be carefully considered. From a principled standpoint, we will consider parties that are close to us regarding the July Charter, justice and reforms," he said.

Regarding the July Charter, which was a key demand of the July uprising, Nahid said significant progress has been made.

"The Consensus Commission did not need to make two proposals. The second proposal is completely unacceptable. We support the first proposal with minor amendments. Our demand was to publish the July Charter order and clarify who will issue it. The recommendation says the interim government will issue the order. We have also suggested a referendum, so that the next parliament will have the authority to create the 2026 reform constitution," he said.

Commenting on discussions within the Consensus Commission, Nahid said that the BNP opposed major reforms, raising questions about whether they wanted the overall reform process.

"The BNP vetoed important reforms, but other parties, under public pressure, shifted from their initial positions," he said.

Nahid Islam called for the implementation of the July Charter, announcement of the roadmap for trials, creating a level playing field and reformation of the Election Commission.