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National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam on Tuesday said that the party would decide on joining any electoral alliance only on the basis of shared principles, particularly a commitment to the July Charter and the reform agenda.

His remarks came while he was speaking to journalists in Rajshahi after a meeting with the party’s divisional and city leaders.

‘If we consider entering a coalition, that decision will come from a principled standpoint. Therefore, the July Charter is very important for us,’ he said.

‘We will observe who stands for Bangladesh, who stands for people, and who cooperates with us. From that standpoint, we may consider forming an alliance or any kind of electoral unity,’ Nahid said.

He said that the party would not forge ties with political forces that oppose the reform process or carry a ‘historic burden’ of anti-democratic politics.

‘If anyone stands against reforms or the new aspirations for freedom and sovereignty that have emerged among people, we will have to think carefully before forming an alliance with such forces, especially those burdened with historical responsibilities,’ he continued.

‘Because we are a new political force and people have many expectations from us. We want to stand with our own distinct identity,’ he further stated.

Nahid said that the NCP would soon announce its list of candidates for national elections, stressing that it would include young voices, July uprising participants and socially credible figures excluded from mainstream politics.

‘We have not halted our electoral activities,’ said the NCP leader.

‘Alongside expanding our organisational structure, our candidate selection and screening processes are ongoing. We will soon announce our list of candidates.’

‘We aim to announce a list of candidates that represents students, workers, farmers, the middle class, and socially accepted citizens, as well as our brothers and sisters living abroad, ensuring inclusion of women and minorities,’ Nahid said.

He said that the NCP had refrained from signing the July Charter during its launch because the implementation process was not yet clear.

‘Until the reform mechanism and constitutional guarantee are specified, the charter remains only a piece of paper,’ he stated.

While he was speaking to journalists Nahid also iterated his party’s demand for introducing the reforms under a constitutional order issued by the interim government chief adviser, not the current president.

He also said that the final version must be approved through a national referendum.

On the issue of the election symbol, the NCP leader again accused the Election Commission of acting arbitrarily by refusing to allocate the party’s preferred Shapla symbol.

‘If the Election Commission continues to act under external influence and denies us participation, people will question its independence,’ he said, adding that the party would consider street movements if barred from contesting.

He alleged that delays over the Shapla symbol were intended to obstruct their campaign.

‘During the July march, we received unprecedented support. If we are granted an electoral symbol, we will be able to restart our nationwide campaign from scratch. It seems to us that some political force using the Election Commission is deliberately trying to delay us in contesting seat-based elections,’ he said.

Nahid also accused the 14-party coalition and Jatiya Party of legitimising the authoritarian rule of Awami League.

He called on all political parties and groups against authoritarianism to stay united in defending national sovereignty and democratic transition under the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus.

‘We have ideological differences, but on the question of Bangladesh’s freedom and democracy, we must stand together. The AL must be politically and morally defeated—only then can fascism truly end,’ he said.

He urged the interim government to publish a road map for justice, including the continuation of trials related to the July uprising and accountability for past political violence.

Nahid stated that the NCP’s struggle was not a short-term electoral effort, but a long-term movement to build a new political culture for the country.