National Citizens Party (NCP) convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam warned that people would take to the streets if the already settled issue of police killing during the July uprising was reopened for debate. He made the statement on Thursday afternoon at the first founding anniversary of NCP’s student wing, Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, held at the Krishibid Institute in Dhaka. Nahid Islam said that any renewed investigation into the police killing must first ensure justice for those injured or killed during the uprising.

He accused the current government of acting like the previous Awami League administration in matters such as vote engineering and warned against the rise of new authoritarianism. Nahid alleged interference in the International Crimes Tribunal, including the removal of its chief prosecutor without cause, and claimed that witnesses and victims were under pressure. He emphasized that the tribunal must operate independently and that victims and witnesses must be protected.

Nahid also announced that NCP leaders would soon travel across the country to engage with students, asserting that students are the driving force behind the party’s reform movement and must safeguard democratic rights on campuses.