Nahid Islam, the convenor of the National Citizens` Party (NCP), has stated that his party opposes Islamophobia and communalism and does not support religious extremism or radicalism.
He clarified that the NCP does not follow either secularist or theocratic ideologies as its guiding principles. Instead, the party embraces a civilizational national identity rather than one based on race, religion, or ethnicity.
On Monday, May 19, Nahid Islam shared a post titled "NCP’s Perspective on Several Issues" from his verified Facebook account, outlining the party’s stance on various matters.
In the post, he also mentioned that the NCP envisions the creation of a new economic zone centered around Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal region.
In his post, Nahid wrote:
1. NCP believes one of Bangladesh’s core foundations is the Liberation War. The party is rooted in the war’s ideals of equality, justice, and human dignity, as well as the 2024 mass uprising’s call for a democratic, non-discriminatory state. Additionally, NCP draws on the anti-colonial and anti-Brahminical struggles of Bengal’s Hindus, Muslims, and Dalits as historical and political references.
2. NCP respects individual religious beliefs and spiritual sentiments. The majority religion, Islam, along with its moral and humane values, and the cultural life of Bengali Muslims are valued by the party. NCP is committed to protecting the rights of minority religious and ethnic communities and believes the state should safeguard the religious and cultural integrity of all groups. The party opposes both Islamophobia and communalism, and rejects religious extremism. Rather than promoting a secularist or theocratic model, NCP envisions an inclusive democratic state built on coexistence, harmony, and mutual care.
3. NCP advocates for a national identity based on civilization rather than race, religion, or tribe. It seeks to develop a national culture rooted in the civilizational identity of the Bengal delta, a region rich in linguistic and cultural diversity.
4. NCP is committed to upholding women`s dignity and empowerment. The party will take concrete steps to ensure women`s access to education, healthcare, safety, leadership, and employment. It will also work toward ensuring women`s rightful share in property under family laws.
5. NCP views Indian regional hegemony and Hindutva ideology as cultural and geopolitical threats to Bangladesh. The party pledges to take a firm political stance against such dominance. It advocates for building strategic international relations based on fairness, dignity, civilization, and national interest.
6. NCP aims to build a corruption-free, justice-based socioeconomic system that resembles a welfare state. The party’s core policy areas include education, public health, agriculture, climate change, urban governance, labor rights, and employment. NCP also envisions creating a new economic zone centered on Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal.
7. The party believes that a truly democratic state requires structural reform, institutional restructuring, and a new constitution. NCP’s primary political mission is to dismantle authoritarian systems and establish a new political framework. The first step in this process is comprehensive reform of the state and the drafting of a new constitution.
