National Citizen Party (NCP) convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam stated that although political leadership has changed in Bangladesh, the lives of ordinary people have not improved. Speaking at an iftar event organized by Khelafat Majlis at Fars Hotel and Resorts in Dhaka’s Paltan area on Friday evening, he remarked that the country’s leadership now ends speeches with 'Bangladesh Zindabad' instead of 'Joy Bangla', symbolizing only a shift in party dominance rather than real progress.

Nahid Islam alleged that incidents of violence against women and rape have increased across the country since the BNP formed the government. He cited a case in Noakhali’s Hatiya, where a woman was allegedly assaulted for voting for the Shapla symbol. He criticized civil society and women’s rights activists for remaining silent on these issues.

He emphasized that despite others’ silence, the National Citizen Party will continue to speak out for people’s rights. Senior NCP leaders, including chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari and spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, attended the event.