National Parliament Chief Whip and NCP convener Nahid Islam has accused the ruling BNP of appointing loan defaulters and murder case suspects as ministers while pretending to reject legitimate parliamentary benefits. Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka’s Banglamotor on Thursday, he alleged that the BNP government is attempting to suppress media freedom and that its new cabinet continues old political arrangements without inclusivity or regional balance.

Nahid Islam said the NCP had hoped the recent election would advance democracy and good governance in Bangladesh, but alleged vote manipulation shattered those expectations. He stated that despite flaws, his party accepted the results for the sake of stability and took oath to make both the National Parliament and the Constitutional Reform Council functional. He accused the BNP of deceiving the public by not taking oath as reform council members.

Citing Transparency International Bangladesh, Nahid claimed 62 percent of MPs are businesspeople with large debts. He urged immediate convening of both the parliament and the reform council, warning that if the referendum is annulled, the government’s legitimacy would be questioned.