The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has renewed its call for the restructuring of the Election Commission (EC), accusing it of acting with political bias to favor a particular party—specifically, the BNP. At a protest rally held on Thursday at Dhaka’s Jatrabari intersection, NCP leaders demanded both local government elections and the formation of an independent Supreme Judicial Council to hold the EC accountable.
NCP leaders alleged the EC was formed under a “fascist-era law” and is now functioning as a de facto extension of BNP. SM Shahriar, the party’s Joint Chief Coordinator, claimed the EC has “no interest in a democratic Bangladesh,” while Muhammad Mursalin, another Joint Chief Coordinator, warned of mass mobilization if the government fails to issue the July declaration within the remaining 21 working days.
Nizam Uddin, the party’s Central Joint Member Secretary, stated that the EC must be dismantled and rebuilt to ensure accountability and public trust. Meanwhile, other leaders, including Ali Naser Khan and Alauddin Mohammad, accused BNP of trying to exploit the current political unrest to seize power through unconstitutional means, likening their efforts to the events that led to the 1/11 military-backed government in 2007.
In parallel, the NCP has aligned itself with ongoing protests demanding the swearing-in of BNP leader Ishraq Hossain as mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation. Both parties are also jointly calling for the resignation of five interim government advisors.
On the digital front, a visible shift toward unity emerged on social media. Interim government Information Advisor Mahfuz Alam issued a public apology for past divisive remarks in a Facebook post, expressing a desire to work collaboratively “with respect and sensitivity to all forces of the coup.” The post was widely shared by NCP leaders and members of the Democratic Students’ Union.
Hasnat Abdullah, NCP’s Southern Region Chief Organizer, echoed this sentiment, posting, “There is no alternative to unity—not for individual or group interests, but for the country.” Senior Joint Coordinator Abdul Hannan Masud also shared a poetic message of solidarity, quoting national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
NCP Convener Nahid Islam met privately with Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus at his residence in Jamuna Thursday evening, as calls for political unity gained momentum across both party lines and public platforms.
