National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has strongly criticized the current state of the country, saying the party considers the people as its only strength in justice, reform, and the implementation of the July charter.
Nahid, while addressing a rally in Thakurgaon on Friday, asserted that this is not Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh; this is the Bangladesh of the mass uprising.
"Therefore, we want to say that we will stop the border killings at any cost," he said.
"We do not do power politics, we do not mean development only in Dhaka. We believe that development occurs when marginal districts like Thakurgaon come together in the same row in the development of the country. Development is not development if there are regional disparities in the country."
Nahid continued: "We have started this march by visiting the grave of Abu Sayed, the first martyr of the anti-discrimination movement. We consider the people as our only strength in justice, reform, and the implementation of the new charter.
"Thakurgaon is the district of farmers; there is oppression of farmers in the country. We want to build a country where there will be no mass oppression."
At the rally, NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain said: "The Thakurgaon region has been a victim of development inequality for a long time. Education, health, agriculture, and labour — all sectors are being ignored here. Farmers do not get fair prices, and workers do not get their fair wages. Thakurgaon is also ignored in budget allocation."
Sarjis Alam, chief organizer of the NCP for the northern region, said: "The hopes that the youth instilled during the July uprising have not materialized in the past year. Basic demands like justice, reforms, and the formulation of a new constitution are still elusive. Therefore, we will go to 64 districts, listen to the people, and prepare a democratic manifesto."
He added: "Almost all the central leaders of the NCP have participated in this march that started from the grave of martyr Abu Sayed. We will not back down in the struggle to implement the July Charter and reforms."