The National Citizen Party (NCP) has said the people of Bangladesh have repeatedly resisted attempts by regional powers to influence the country's independent political trajectory, citing the events of November 7, 1975, and July 2024 as examples of popular resistance against domination
In a press release issued on Saturday marking National Revolution and Solidarity Day, the party said regional powers had repeatedly attempted to hijack Bangladesh's distinct political path and the sacrifices of its people.
However, the people had broken the "chains of domination and servitude" through historic movements, including the sepoy-people's uprising and the July revolution, it said.
The NCP also called on the ruling BNP to learn from the history of November 7 and form a constitution reform council in line with the outcome of the referendum.
"On this historic day, our call to the BNP, the party founded by Ziaur Rahman, is to learn from history and abandon the attempt to squeeze fundamental structural reform of the constitution into the narrow box of a constitutional amendment," the party said.
It urged the government to respect the people's mandate in the referendum and take immediate steps to implement it.
"Form a constitution reform council according to the people's verdict," the statement said, warning that denying the people's mandate after coming to power through an election made possible by the July revolution would leave the party answerable to history.
The NCP paid tribute to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, describing him as a freedom fighter, sector commander and proclaimer of independence.
Describing Ziaur Rahman as a rare figure among military rulers, the party said he abolished one-party BAKSAL politics and restored multiparty politics.
However, it said his attempt to establish democracy while retaining the "fascist structure" of the BAKSAL era had not been fully successful.
The party said Ziaur Rahman had attempted to introduce democracy through the Fifth Amendment within that structure, which was later struck down by the courts.
"Sadly, the BNP, founded by Ziaur Rahman, has learned no historical, political or constitutional lesson from this," the statement said.
It alleged that the BNP was now attempting to confine fundamental reforms, including those outlined in the July Charter, within an 18th constitutional amendment, leaving them vulnerable to legal challenges or reversal by a future parliament.
Speaking at a discussion organised by the NCP in Dhaka's Banglamotor on Saturday, the party's Senior Joint Convener and MP Hasnat Abdullah accused the BNP of trying to benefit politically from every popular movement and eventually becoming like the Awami League.
He said the BNP presented November 7 as a revolutionary day but sometimes made contradictory statements about the 2024 uprising.
"The BNP has always shown the Awami League the way. The party wants to take the benefit of every movement. The BNP suffers from an inferiority complex over the July uprising," he said.
Hasnat also criticised the BNP's position on rehabilitating the Awami League, saying the crimes committed during its rule must first be brought to justice.
"Only then can its rehabilitation or relevance be discussed," he said.
He further predicted that the BNP government would be seen as having failed across sectors, including the economy and law and order, within a year of taking office.
NCP leader Sarwar Tushar urged the BNP to look for infiltrators within its own ranks rather than in other political parties. He also cautioned the ruling party against repeating its previous mistakes regarding the Awami League.