National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Wednesday said people have yet to experience the change they had hoped for two years after the July 2024 uprising, blaming the government's alleged prisonization of state institutions, resistance to reforms, excessive centralization of power, and administrative failures.
In a statement marking the second anniversary of the July uprising, Nahid said: "Even two years after the uprising, ordinary people have not found relief in their daily lives. The government's unprecedented prisonization, anti-reform stance, excessive centralization of power, and administrative inefficiency have once again brought the nation to the brink of crisis."
He alleged that the aspirations of those killed during the uprising remained unfulfilled, saying the political leadership had failed to translate the movement's goals into reality.
"From the very moment of victory on August 5, the change envisioned by the martyrs could not be realized because of the political leadership's profound lack of cooperation. The public aspiration to dismantle the fascist structure has been defeated by the pursuit of power," he said.
Nahid called on the government to respect the people's verdict expressed through the referendum and implement reforms without delay. He also urged an end to what he described as the politics of violence and occupation, and demanded democratic coexistence in educational institutions and across all levels of the state.
He further called for the speedy trial of those responsible for the killings during the 2024 movement and "all other massacres," according to the party's statement.
Paying tribute to those killed during the July uprising, Nahid described August 5 as a defining day in the country's history and said their sacrifices should inspire efforts to build a Bangladesh founded on justice, fairness, and human dignity.
Addressing the public, he said: "The homeland entrusted to us by martyrs Abu Sayed, Wasim, Mugdho, Hridoy Tarua and all other martyrs is our shared responsibility. Let us remain united to protect its dignity and future, speak out against injustice, oppression and discrimination, and actively participate in building a Bangladesh founded on justice, equity and human dignity."