Speakers at a national convention in Dhaka on Sunday accused the BNP-led government of deceiving the public over promised reforms. The event, organized by the National Citizen Party’s Reform Implementation Committee at the Diploma Engineers Institute, focused on energy, economy, human rights, and constitutional reform. Participants alleged that the government had abandoned its pre-election commitments and was moving toward authoritarianism by reversing key institutional reforms.
NCP leaders, academics, and civil society representatives criticized the government for canceling the July Charter’s provisions on human rights, anti-corruption, and judicial independence. They claimed that the BNP had withdrawn from constitutional reform initiatives and dissolved commissions meant to ensure accountability. Political scientist Dilara Chowdhury and sociologist Mirza Hasan said the ruling elite and bureaucracy were obstructing reforms to retain power.
Speakers urged the government to honor the July Charter and referendum outcomes, warning that failure to do so would push the administration toward authoritarian rule. They called for a public movement to compel reform implementation if the BNP government continued to ignore its commitments.