NCP leader says parties must address social barriers preventing women from entering public life

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and lawmaker from Dhaka-11, today said that most political parties, including his own, had failed to honour commitments on nominating women candidates in the parliamentary election.

Speaking at the “July Women’s Rally” organised by Jatiya Nari Shakti at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) in Dhaka’s Kakrail, he admitted that alliance arrangements had limited the number of women NCP could nominate despite efforts to follow the July Charter.

“We want women to contest direct elections alongside the reserved seats,” he said.

Nahid questioned why women who had stood at the forefront of the July 2024 uprising were no longer visible in politics, stressing that parties must address social realities preventing women from entering public life. He urged women leaders emerging from the uprising to speak for people both in and outside the parliament.

He noted that women voters played a major role in the election, with both government and opposition seeking their support. “Their opinions and decisions are now more important than ever,” he said, calling on Jatiya Nari Shakti to unite women who took part in the uprising and ensure their political protection.

Nahid alleged that women have faced attacks, cyberbullying and character assassination since the uprising, sometimes from political opponents and sometimes from members of their own parties.

He urged the government to ensure that new cyber laws protect women regardless of political affiliation. He also called for greater state support for women’s higher education, safe workplaces for professional women, and stronger social protection for homemakers.

Criticising the law-and-order situation, Nahid said conditions had not improved after an elected government took office. He accused the home minister of focusing more on constitutional amendments than reforming law enforcement, citing recent reports of rape and child rape.

Nahid urged the government to implement reforms and the July Charter without delay, either through constitutional amendments or a reform council. He said reports of commissions formed under the interim government, including those on women, labour and media, had not been made public.

Turning to justice for the July killings, he questioned the removal of the International Crimes Tribunal’s chief prosecutor, and said the trial process has been slow and questionable.

He said NCP would continue to demand justice both in parliament and on the streets.

Former fisheries and livestock adviser Farida Akhter, attending the event as chief guest, said that the aspirations of the July Uprising had been ignored since an elected government came to power.

“No Delhi, no Washington, no Paris; we recognise none of them. We recognise only Bangladesh,” she declared.

She said the government had forgotten the spirit of July after taking office. “The government appeared to believe that, having come to power through an election, it no longer needed to heed the people’s wishes and aspirations. Hasina is gone, but many of her collaborators remain, and the fascist structure she built is still intact. We have failed to transform the state,” she said.

The event was chaired by Monira Sharmin, joint convener of NCP. A documentary on women’s role in the uprising was screened at the event.