National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam on Thursday, January 29, 2026, called on citizens to vote 'Yes' in the upcoming referendum to prevent the return of what he described as fascist or autocratic governance in Bangladesh. Speaking at an NCP election march held at the petrol pump area in Sreemangal, Moulvibazar, he urged voters to reject those seeking to reestablish the defeated Awami League forces in the February 12 election. He said the NCP emerged from the August 5 movement and aims to eliminate corruption, misrule, and family-based leadership.

Without naming any party, Nahid Islam alleged that a major political group filed mass cases nationwide after August 5 and is now using those cases for political bargaining. He called on voters to resist such attempts by supporting the NCP’s Shapla Koli symbol. NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan highlighted the struggles of party candidate Pritam Das, who was jailed for 132 days for labor rights activism. He pledged wage increases and infrastructure improvements if elected.

Pritam Das also urged voters to support the 11-party alliance’s Shapla Koli symbol in the February 12 election for Sreemangal’s development.