Some parties deceiving people in the name of consensus: NCP's Nahid

National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Nahid Islam has accused several political parties of deceiving the public by signing a document under the banner of “national consensus”.

Nahid made the allegation on Friday at the launch of the party’s labour wing, the Jatiya Sramik Shakti, in Dhaka's Eskaton.

His remarks came hours before the scheduled signing of the July National Charter 2025 at the South Plaza of the National Parliament. Most political parties are expected to take part in the ceremony.

The Left Democratic Alliance had earlier announced it would not sign the charter, citing disagreements over certain provisions. The NCP, which emerged from the youth leadership of the July Uprising, also refused to sign, saying there was uncertainty over how the charter would be implemented.

“Some people believe that if a few political parties come together, it automatically signals national unity,” Nahid said.

“Today, several parties will gather to sign a document called the July Charter and label it as national consensus. We do not see this as national unity. True unity means students, workers, and professionals standing together for a common cause.”

Calling the day a “historic one”, he added: “Some political parties are deceiving the people by signing a piece of paper in the name of national consensus, while Jatiya Sramik Shakti is asserting its presence on the streets. One day, the workers’ movement will prevail.”

He said genuine national unity arises when “people from all walks of life unite on the basis of shared interests and patriotism”.

Nahid, a former advisor to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, said the administration was prioritising election-related reforms instead of addressing issues that affect public welfare.

“Since the uprising, the government has formed several reform commissions, including one on labour. But have you seen any discussion about it? There’s no debate on the labour commission, the health commission, or on improving public services. All attention is on six election-related reform commissions under the National Consensus Commission. Even there, we have not seen genuine goodwill for democracy.”

He added that the NCP would continue its “struggle for democratic and economic transformation”.