Nahid Islam in Noakhali: No chance of 'Apa' returning in December; gallows ready if she does

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and chief whip of the opposition, has said there is no chance of 'Apa' returning to the country in any December. If she does return, the gallows are ready for her. He made the remarks at an event at Noakhali Science and Technology University on Saturday (November 7) afternoon.

Nahid Islam was speaking at the prize distribution ceremony of a freshers' reception and a competition titled 'Students' thoughts on the July mass uprising', organised by the Jatiya Chhatrashakti at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Mohammad Ruhul Amin Auditorium of Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU).

Nahid Islam said, 'The students and people of Bangladesh have not fallen asleep yet, and neither have the universities. You must prove that. Do not agitate only demanding a Noakhali division. Think about the whole country, think about the whole world — that is what a university is.'

Urging university students to gain global knowledge and skills, he said, 'A university student must know what is being thought and what is happening around the world. Prepare yourself for the global market. The job market is not only in the country; think about where you can establish yourself anywhere in the world.'

Speaking about November 7, the NCP convener said, 'We hold November 7 dear. November 7 was a revolution, but is the July mass uprising not a revolution? The current government calls it a revolution when it suits them, and when it does not suit them, or where they had no leadership, they call it merely a movement or a mass uprising.'

Addressing the students present, he asked, 'We consider November 7 a revolution, and we also consider the July revolution a revolution, is that right?'

Raising the question of someone returning to the country next December, Nahid Islam said, 'I hear someone wants to come to the country next December, do you know? Are we ready? Were we ready the way we were during the July mass uprising, are we ready now? Will the resistance this time be greater than before, or less?'

Expressing anger at the lack of justice, he said, 'Last time we showed great generosity, we forgave. In the words of Osman Hadi, we said — we will do justice even to the enemy, we will deliver fair trials. But in the last two years we have received no justice. We did not get justice for the killing of Osman Hadi, nor for the killing of our martyred brothers and sisters of July. When people do not get justice, they begin to build resistance themselves.'

Special guests at the event included NCP senior joint member secretary Sarjis Alam, joint convener and member of parliament Hannan Masud, and joint convener Nizam Uddin. Also present were Jatiya Chhatrashakti central president Abu Baker Majumder, general secretary Tahmid Al Muddassir Chowdhury and other central leaders.

On the same day, Saturday afternoon, the National Citizen Party (NCP) issued a statement calling for the formation of a constitutional reform council in line with the verdict of the referendum.

The statement said today is the historic November 7. On this day in 1975, the historic Sepoy-People's uprising took place. On this historic day, we remember the proclaimer of independence, martyred President Ziaur Rahman. The NCP pays deep respect to his memory.

The statement further said Ziaur Rahman was a rare figure among military rulers who, rising from a military background, abolished one-party BAKSAL politics and restored multiparty politics in the country. The NCP said Ziaur Rahman had wanted to introduce democracy through the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution within the BAKSAL structure.

Criticising the BNP, the statement said the party founded by Ziaur Rahman has learned no historical, political or constitutional lesson from history. It is trying once again to squeeze fundamental changes like the July Charter into the Eighteenth Amendment, which could face a challenge in court or in a future parliament at any time.

The statement said the people's referendum verdict must be respected and implemented immediately, and a constitutional reform council must be formed in line with it. It warned that those who come to power through the election gained through the July revolution and then deny the people's verdict will one day have to stand in the dock of history.