Nahid Islam accuses BNP of striking a secret deal with India, a charge that adds to the sharpening rivalry between the opposition and the government in Bangladesh. The convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Opposition Chief Whip made the allegation at a public outreach programme in Mirpur-10 in Dhaka. His claims are political allegations, and no evidence for them was presented in the reports reviewed.
What Nahid Islam Said in Mirpur
Speaking on Sunday afternoon, Nahid said the BNP came to power through a deal with India and was now destabilising the hill regions in the same way. He alleged that the party maintained a clandestine relationship with India, which he claimed was fuelling unrest in the hills and contributing to killings along the border in order to pressure Bangladesh. “We have serious doubts about what kind of deal they will make with India,” he said, according to Dhaka Tribune’s report.
The Business Standard, which carried the same remarks, dated the programme to 23 October, while Dhaka Tribune published its report on Sunday, 25 October. The discrepancy is probably a dating error in one of the reports, but it has not been resolved here. Neither outlet carried a response from the BNP or the government to this specific accusation. The BNP has previously rejected criticism from the NCP that it has abandoned reforms, and Tarique Rahman’s government has said it is pursuing a gradual legislative path.
Why Nahid Islam Accuses BNP of Ignoring the Referendum Verdict
Alongside the India claim, Nahid used the event to attack the government’s legitimacy. He called it illegitimate and said it was refusing to implement the referendum decision in defiance of the people’s verdict. He also noted that the BNP had spent years describing the Awami League government as illegitimate.
The dispute is rooted in the political transition that followed the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. The February 2026 election was held alongside a referendum on the July National Charter, and one analysis reported that the BNP won a two-thirds parliamentary majority while about 68.6 per cent of voters approved the Charter. Nahid has repeatedly said roughly 70 per cent of voters backed reforms and has warned of a new mass movement if the July Charter is not implemented in line with the referendum result.
The BNP’s position, as described by analysts and its supporters, is that the referendum did not automatically replace or suspend the existing constitution, and that change should come through parliament step by step. The NCP argues that the vote gave a mandate for deeper constitutional change, a gap that has become the central flashpoint between the two parties.
Fears Over the Awami League’s Return
Nahid also said his party feared that the Awami League would be rehabilitated at the BNP’s hands, with the BNP voluntarily creating space for it to return to politics. He offered no specific example in the reports reviewed. The Awami League’s activities are officially banned, and police continue to arrest people accused of staging processions in its name.
Attack on a Minister
The NCP convener directed sharp criticism at State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam, alleging that he became a minister under Tarique Rahman’s “friend quota” and had since built a “fiefdom” in his constituency. Nahid claimed the minister was announcing mayoral candidates himself, which he called completely illegal. These are allegations, and the minister’s reply was not included in the reports.
How the Dispute Fits the Wider Picture
Relations between the two parties have deteriorated steadily. In recent months, Nahid has accused the government of betraying the July uprising, and said it would not be able to complete its five-year term if the Charter and the referendum result were not implemented. The government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is meanwhile pursuing closer ties abroad, including a visit to Japan this week to seek investment.
The allegation about India touches a sensitive issue in Bangladeshi politics, where relations with New Delhi have been strained since 2024. Nahid has previously said India must stop viewing Bangladesh through the eyes of the Awami League if it wants good relations.
Outlook
The coming weeks will test whether the confrontation is confined to rhetoric or leads to street action, as Nahid has threatened. For the BNP, answering the accusations while holding to its legislative approach to the July Charter will be the main challenge. For voters, the central question remains whether the referendum result will be translated into constitutional change, and on what timetable.
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