National Citizen Party Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam on Saturday said communal harmony in Bangladesh could not be secured without strengthening democracy and ensuring an independent judiciary.
“Without a strong democracy, communal harmony cannot be ensured,” Nahid said. “If the judiciary is independent and impartial, everyone will benefit.”
He was speaking at a discussion titled “July of Harmony: Contributions of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Communities to the July Mass Uprising” at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium, marking the second anniversary of the July uprising.
Nahid said the uprising had been inclusive from its beginning, with people from different religious communities participating in the movement. At least nine people from minority communities were killed during the uprising, he said.
He accused the Awami League of historically using minority communities for political purposes, saying the party had sought to portray itself as secular while branding its opponents as communal.
“Minorities should maintain relations with all political parties. They should not put themselves in the pocket of any one party,” Nahid said, adding that political parties had a responsibility to build relationships with minority communities so they did not feel insecure.
Referring to the aftermath of the 2024 uprising, Nahid recalled that madrasa students had guarded Hindu temples amid fears of attacks.
“We do not want a situation where temples need to be guarded,” he said. “But July showed that in a time of crisis, we can rise above our divisions.”
He acknowledged that attacks and other “unwanted incidents” had occurred since the uprising and called on the government to address the demands of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities.
Nahid said accountability should extend beyond enforced disappearances and killings to include attacks on minority communities and the seizure of their land under previous governments.
He also accused the current government of reviving what he described as an old culture of suppressing opposition parties.
“We are once again seeing an atmosphere of fear,” Nahid said, arguing that the country needed political unity to navigate its economic and political challenges.
He said the opposition could have cooperated with the government had it implemented the July Charter, remained committed to accountability and improved the law-and-order situation.
The event was chaired by NCP Joint Member Secretary Pritam Das and attended by representatives of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities, as well as NCP leaders.
--