Poet, essayist, and political commentator Farhad Mazhar stated that the United States has carried out a regime change in Bangladesh and that the current power lies with them, not with local actors. He made these remarks on Tuesday at a discussion and documentary screening titled “Shapla Massacre; A Decade of Impunity,” organized by the National Olama Alliance, supported by the NCP, at the IDEB building in Kakrail, Dhaka. Mazhar also called for justice for the Shapla killings and urged unity in revolutionary spirit against what he described as internal and external dangers.

At the same event, NCP leaders including MP Dr. Atik Mujahid, Sarowar Tushar, and Abdullah Al Amin emphasized the need to recognize the Shapla victims as martyrs and to bring specific perpetrators to justice. They described the Shapla incident as part of a cultural struggle that must continue in the region.

The discussion was presided over by Maulana Ashraf Uddin Mahdi, with participation from leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam, Khelafat Majlish, and other allied organizations.