Dhaka: The National Citizen Party (NCP) has accused the Election Commission (EC) of acting in a biased manner to appease a particular political party and has demanded its immediate restructuring.

The party also called for the formation of an independent Supreme Judicial Council to ensure accountability of the EC.

The demands were raised at a protest rally organised by the NCP’s Jatrabari zone unit in Dhaka South City, held at the Jatrabari intersection on Thursday afternoon. The rally was part of the NCP’s ongoing campaign demanding local government elections and a restructured Election Commission.

Addressing the rally, NCP Central Joint Member Secretary Nizam Uddin said, “From the very beginning, the Election Commission has acted with clear bias to please one political party. The EC, formed under a controversial law from a fascist regime, must be overhauled. We also demand the formation of an independent Supreme Judicial Council to ensure its accountability.”

NCP Joint Member Secretary Alauddin Mohammad accused the BNP of trying to capitalise on the current situation. “They want to bring about another 1/11 in Bangladesh. The judiciary and the Election Commission, which once contributed to destabilisation through 1/11, must be reformed,” he said.

NCP Joint Chief Organiser Ali Naser Khan alleged that BNP was attempting to seize power undemocratically by toppling the government formed through the people’s uprising.

“Before any reforms began, BNP appointed election commissioners and attorney generals. It also placed its people in key positions across the judiciary, bureaucracy, and other state institutions. Although there’s talk of a level playing field, the reality is far from it. The EC must be restructured,” he asserted.

SM Shahriar, NCP’s Joint Chief Coordinator, said the current Election Commission has no intention of upholding democracy. Another Joint Chief Coordinator, Muhammad Mursalin, claimed, “The EC has now effectively become the party office of the BNP. Everyone knows who opposes the July Declaration. Out of the 30 working days announced by the government, 21 remain. If the declaration is not issued within this time, we will launch a strong mass movement.”

Other speakers at the rally included Kadamtali Police Station representatives Md. Sadiqul Islam and Rabiul Islam, Jatrabari Police Station representatives Lucky Akhter, Mirasad Hossain, and Md. Riyad, as well as Rifat Khan from Wari Police Station.

Call for Unity
As the movement demanding that BNP leader Ishraque Hossain be sworn in as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) gains momentum, the National Citizen Party (NCP) has intensified its own call for local government elections and the restructuring of the Election Commission (EC).

Both BNP and NCP have also echoed demands for the resignation of five government advisers.

Amid these developments, a notable shift in tone was observed on social media, with NCP leaders beginning to call for unity among the forces behind the July mass uprising.

At around 5:00 pm yesterday, Mahfuz Alam, information adviser to the interim government, posted a message on his verified Facebook account that struck a conciliatory note.

“I sincerely regret any previous statements and wording that were divisive. If I have another day in government, I want to work with respect and sensitivity to all the forces of the uprising,” he wrote.

Several prominent NCP leaders reposted Mahfuz Alam’s message, which was also shared by numerous leaders from the Bangladesh Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad.

By the evening, the call for unity had spread more widely across NCP ranks. Hasnat Abdullah, the party’s chief organiser for the southern region, posted: “There is no alternative to being united—not for the interests of any individual or group, but for our country.”

Senior Joint Chief Coordinator Abdul Hannan Masud joined the chorus with a symbolic post featuring Kazi Nazrul Islam’s poem Kandari Hushiar, offering a poetic appeal for solidarity.

Later in the evening, at around 7:00 pm, NCP convener Nahid Islam paid a private visit to the chief adviser’s residence in Jamuna. Meanwhile calls for unity appeared across facebook.