The National Citizen Party (NCP) gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Sunday to demand the dismantling of Bangladesh’s 1972 Constitution and the creation of a new national charter. Party leaders argued that the original constitution failed to ensure the rights of the people and called for comprehensive reforms.
Sarjis Alam, the NCP’s chief coordinator for the northern region, addressed the rally, describing the 1972 document as a “one-party constitution.”
“We want to make it clear from this platform today, the 1972 Constitution was a one-party constitution. Its draft was approved from another country,” he said. “We cannot allow this Mujibist constitution to remain in Bangladesh any longer. We have come here today to demand its dismantling and the establishment of a new one.”
Alam framed the demand as part of a broader struggle for rights that has spanned generations. “We emerged from 200 years of British colonial rule into a new era, but we were not given our rights,” he said. “We lived under Pakistani rule for 23 years with no rights. Now, in 54 years of independent Bangladesh, still no rights.”
He reminded the crowd that one year ago, the NCP had stood on the same stage to call for the end of what they described as a “fascist regime” and to announce the downfall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “Many who stood at this Shaheed Minar a year ago are now martyrs. Many others are injured. Their families are present here today,” Alam said.
The rally highlighted demands for justice and accountability. Alam said the party seeks:
- Justice for those killed or injured in past political violence
- Taking care of our own: getting wounded activists the treatment they need and supporting the families who have lost their heroes
- Demanding real consequences for the masterminds behind two of the nation’s darkest chapters: the 2009 BDR massacre and the 2013 killings at Shapla Chattar
Also Read: NCP to Announce Manifesto of New Bangladesh at Dhaka Rally
He also voiced opposition to religious discrimination and political manipulation through staged militancy. “Just as there will be no place for Islamophobia in this Bangladesh, there will be no place for hatred against Islam either,” Alam said. “We will not allow staged militancy dramas or the misuse of so-called civil society agents in the name of reform.”
The rally at Shaheed Minar drew party activists, families of victims, and supporters, marking another public push by the NCP to frame itself as a movement for systemic change and a “New Bangladesh.”
