National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Monday called for Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed’s removal, saying the government would not be able to restore law and order as long as he remains in office.
“We believe he has already failed. If a person has failed, he cannot and should not remain in charge,” Nahid said at a press briefing after a meeting at the party’s office in the capital.
He said the home minister should step down to set an example of accountability within the government.
“We have already seen a few reshuffles in the cabinet. So, now he should be removed. An example needs to be set that if someone fails in their duties, they must step down and make way for a successor,” he said.
“This will send a message to everyone, including the government officials working under him,” he added.
Nahid accused the government of failing to rein in its party activists and cited a series of recent incidents in Dhaka as evidence of what he described as a deterioration in law and order.
He referred to the demolition and alleged looting of the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur and the attack on content creator Salman Muqtadir’s studio in the ECB Chattar area. Police were present during the Mirpur incident, and a preliminary police investigation reportedly found evidence of inaction and negligence.
Nahid said law enforcement agencies remained inactive during the attacks, raising questions about the government’s ability to ensure public safety.
“The government had promised that the law and order situation would improve after an elected government came to power. But the situation has deteriorated further,” he said.
His criticism comes after Salahuddin said on Sunday that any attempt to worsen law and order would be dealt with firmly and that criminals would not be shielded by political affiliation. The home minister also said preliminary evidence of police inaction and negligence had emerged in connection with the attack on the Radda centre.
Nahid also accused the government of politicising public recruitment, citing the exclusion of candidates from the primary school teacher recruitment process following police verification.
He said qualified candidates should not be disqualified without specific evidence of their involvement in criminal or anti-state activities.
He also criticised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, saying it failed to reflect the expectations and concerns of Bangladeshis.
According to Nahid, the prime minister missed an opportunity to highlight issues including the energy crisis, border killings, alleged push-ins from India, the Rohingya crisis and implementation of the Teesta project.
On constitutional reform, Nahid rejected the government’s initiative to form a parliamentary committee to amend the Constitution, arguing that fundamental reforms could not be achieved through the regular amendment process.
He called for the immediate convening of the Constitution Reform Council to implement the July National Charter, warning that the NCP would continue its programmes and move towards tougher action if the government failed to do so.
Nahid also expressed concern over the proposed Cyber Security Act, alleging that it could restrict freedom of expression and be used to suppress criticism of the government.
On the upcoming local government elections, Nahid said the NCP would contest independently and support candidates committed to combating extortion, terrorism and land grabbing.
Senior party leaders Akhter Hossen, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah and Nasiruddin Patwari, among others, were present at the meeting.
The remarks came amid growing scrutiny of the government’s handling of law and order following several recent incidents in Dhaka, including the demolition of the Radda centre and the vandalism of Salman Muqtadir’s studio. Rights groups have also called for investigations and accountability over the incidents.