Narayanganj residents should remain alert to the possible rise of a new political dynasty and the return of authoritarian governance, said Nahid Islam, convener of the NCP, during a local march on Friday. (Also read: NCP Demands Arrests After Deadly Gopalganj Rally Attack)
The statement was delivered at a public gathering marking “Private University Resistance Day,” an observance commemorating student victims of last year’s crackdown on the job quota reform movement.
Criticism of Osman Family’s Influence
Referring to the influence of the Awami League-affiliated Osman family, Nahid pointed to what he described as a long history of political control in Narayanganj, facilitated by election rigging and intimidation.
“You rose up during last year’s uprising and must stay active even now,” Nahid told attendees. “The fight will only end when a truly pro-people system is in place.”
He encouraged citizens to continue organizing, warning that any political vacuum could lead to the consolidation of power by entrenched families and party-aligned groups.
Remembering the Victims of July 2024
He spoke the name of Farhan Faiyaz, a student from Dhaka Residential Model College, ensuring he wouldn’t be forgotten.
Faiyaz was just one of the dozens of students, many of them minors, who were killed one year ago this week when a peaceful protest movement was met with overwhelming force.
What had been a student-led campaign for job quota reform became a bloodbath as security forces and ruling party backers allegedly attacked the demonstrators, leaving a trail of dead and wounded from schools across the nation.
Focus on Workers and Small Businesses
The NCP leader also turned attention to local economic conditions, calling for protections for Narayanganj’s workers and small to mid-sized business owners.
Nahid is tapping into a raw nerve: the fear that power is being consolidated by a few, leaving local democracy on shaky ground.
He voiced this by attacking the “mafia oligarchs” who he says get favorable treatment while smaller businesses face extortion.
This isn’t just political rhetoric; it’s a call to action aimed at those who haven’t forgotten the deadly price of the last protests, especially as a new political season approaches.
