The National Citizen Party will not join the simultaneous movement of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamic parties to press their seven-point demand, NCP convener Nahid Islam said on Friday.
Nahid made the remarks at a press briefing after a meeting with grassroots leaders and activists of the party at the Shaheed Abu Sayeed International Convention Centre at Shahbagh in Dhaka.
鈥楾he NCP wants proportional representation in the upper house, not in the lower house. That is why, we are not part of the simultaneous movement with Jamaat-e-Islami and others,鈥� he said.
He also said that the NCP would move forward with its own political agenda instead of aligning with major political parties at this stage.
There is no alternative to a Constituent Assembly election to ensure the legal basis of the July Charter, the NCP leader said.
Nahid said, 鈥楽ince we want both a Constituent Assembly and a national election together, we have instructed everyone to prepare for both the elections.鈥�
NCP will form convening committees at the upazila level across the country by October and take to the streets to press home its demands, he said.
About the party鈥檚 electoral registration, Nahid said, 鈥榃e are close to getting registered. The Election Commission could not provide any valid reason for not providing us with the Shapla (water lily) symbol. We hope to secure it.鈥�
He said that the NCP鈥檚 priority was to establish a functional upper house with proportional representation and accountability to ensure full implementation of the July Charter.
NCP member secretary Akhter Hossain said that the meeting also discussed issues of alliances and the Constituent Assembly.
鈥楲ocal leaders told us that Awami collaborators were still roaming free. We demand that they be brought to book,鈥� he said.
Leaders of NCP鈥檚 district and upazila-level coordination committees attended the meeting.
