'No chance of returning in any December,' Nahid Islam tells NSTU; NCP demands constitution reform council

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and opposition chief whip, has said, 'There is no chance of "Apa" returning to the country in any December. Even if she comes, the gallows are ready for her.' On the same day, his party called for the formation of a constitution reform council in line with the referendum verdict.

He made the remarks on Saturday (7 November) afternoon at a freshers' reception and prize-giving ceremony for a competition titled 'Students' thoughts on the July mass uprising', organised by 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 have to prove that. Do not agitate only by saying you want a Noakhali division. Think about the whole country, think about the whole world — that is what a university is.'

Urging university students to acquire global knowledge and skills, he said, 'A university student must know what thinking is happening where in the world and what is going on. You must prepare yourself for the global market. The job market is not only in the country — think about where you can establish yourself across the whole world.'

Speaking about 7 November, the NCP convener said, 'We hold 7 November dear. 7 November is a revolution, but is the July mass uprising not a revolution? The present government calls a revolution what suits it, and what does not suit it, or where it did not lead, it calls merely a movement or a mass uprising.'

Putting a question to the students present, he said, 'We consider 7 November a revolution, and we also consider the July revolution a revolution — is that right?'

Raising the prospect of someone returning to the country next December, Nahid Islam said, 'Apparently someone wants to come to the country next December — do you know? Are we prepared? Were we prepared in the July mass uprising the way we were then, are we now? Will the resistance this time be greater than before, or less?'

Expressing anger at the absence of justice, he said, 'Last time we showed a lot of generosity, we forgave. We said in Osman Hadi's words — we will do justice even to the enemy, we will deliver justice. But in the last two years we have received no justice. We did not get justice for Osman Hadi's murder, we did not get justice for the murders of our martyred brothers and sisters of July. When people do not get justice, they begin to build resistance themselves.'

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

In a statement on Saturday afternoon, the National Citizen Party (NCP) called for the formation of a constitution reform council in line with the referendum verdict. The statement said today is the historic 7 November, the day in 1975 when 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 among the rarest of military rulers, a man who rose from a military background to abolish one-party BAKSAL politics and restore 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 framework, but the anti-people fascist structure struck down that fifth amendment through the courts at the first opportunity.

Criticising the BNP, the statement said it is sad but true that the BNP, the party founded by Ziaur Rahman, has learned no historical, political or constitutional lesson from history. It wants to compress fundamental changes to the constitution, like the July Charter, once again into the eighteenth amendment, which could face a challenge from the courts or a future parliament at any time.

The statement said: respect the people's referendum verdict and take steps to implement it immediately. Form a constitution reform council in line with the referendum verdict. If you come to power through the election gained through the July revolution and then deny the referendum verdict, one day you will have to stand in the dock of history.