Nahid Islam backs workers’ protests, blames govt for intelligence failure

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Tuesday defended the ongoing workers’ protests, blaming the government’s poor planning for the unrest and accusing it of an intelligence failure.

“No just movement can be dismissed as a conspiracy,” Nahid, also the opposition chief whip, told reporters in Pabna.

“If fascists have infiltrated this movement and try to create anarchy, the government must take responsibility for that too,” he said.

“This is a failure of the government’s intelligence activities. It cannot evade responsibility.”

Nahid made the remarks ahead of a meeting organised by the NCP’s Pabna district unit to review organisational progress and discuss preparations for local elections.

He accused the government of deploying intelligence agencies against opposition parties while failing to track those he described as enemies of the country.

“Those who killed people and fled to India — we have yet to see the head of government present any intelligence information about them to the nation,” he said.

Nahid rejected the government's apparent attempts to portray the workers’ movement as politically motivated.

He said the interim government had faced around 500 protest movements, arguing that public agitation would subside only when people regained trust in those governing them.

But the present government, he claimed, had lost that trust.

He accused it of betraying the mandate of the 70% of voters who supported it and breaking its election pledges.

Calls for street protests over LPG prices

Nahid also criticised the latest increase in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices, warning that households would face further financial pressure.

He said LPG cylinders previously priced at 1,800 taka were already being sold for as much as 2,500 taka in the open market.

The latest increase, announced Monday, would push prices even higher, he warned.

Nahid urged people to take to the streets and demand accountability from the government.

“It is on the streets that this government must be given an answer,” he said.

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