National Citizens Party (NCP) convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam has accused the government of stalling the formation of the July Charter and the Constitutional Reform Council. Speaking at a dialogue with diplomats from various countries in Dhaka’s Gulshan area on Saturday, he said the government was using deception over the reform process. The event, titled “Reform Deadlock: The Way Forward,” was organized by the NCP’s Reform Implementation Committee and attended by diplomats from several European Union member states.

Nahid Islam alleged that both the government and the BNP were engaging in political trickery regarding the reforms. He said that although top leaders had supported a referendum before the election, they opposed it after coming to power. He emphasized that reforms must be participatory, transparent, and based on sovereign authority. He also stated that the NCP preferred peaceful and nonviolent movements but warned that stronger action would follow if the government ignored their demands.

He further stressed the need for a Constitutional Reform Council to ensure fundamental changes such as establishing an upper house, caretaker government, independent judiciary, and transparent appointments to constitutional bodies.