National Citizen Party convenor and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam on Monday accused the BNP government of turning state institutions into “party clubs” within six months of taking power. Speaking at the party’s temporary central office in Banglamotor, Dhaka, he presented what the NCP described as failures in 13 sectors during the government’s first 180 days.

The NCP’s list included alleged economic mismanagement and an energy crisis, power shortages and record load-shedding, banking capture and market syndicates, pressure on opposition parties, interference with freedom of expression, and worsening law and order. It also cited alleged failures in medicine pricing policy, measles management, education, treatment and rehabilitation of people injured in July, as well as what it called a divided foreign policy.

Nahid said 19 to 20 universities had received party-aligned vice-chancellor appointments in the past six months. He also alleged that party-affiliated people were appointed administrators in 11 city corporations and 63 district councils, turning positions into rehabilitation centres for unsuccessful nominees and defeated candidates. He said 830 incidents of political violence occurred in the period, alleging BNP involvement in 670, and said NCP activists were attacked in several locations.