National Citizen Party (NCP) Southern Region Chief Organiser and Cumilla-4 MP Hasnat Abdullah has alleged that the BNP government is turning the police into “party loyalists” in the same way the previous Awami League administration did, while also undermining judicial independence by abolishing the judicial secretariat.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the district unit of the NCP at Payra Chattar in Jhenaidah this evening, Hasnat claimed judges are simply reading out verdicts written by the law minister rather than delivering independent rulings.

The NCP lawmaker accused BNP of politicising the courts by placing them under the Ministry of Law, stripping judges of independence and using administrative tools to control verdicts.

The press conference was held in response to the Chhatra Dal case filed over the egg-throwing incident targeting Nasiruddin Patwary on May 22 and the subsequent developments.

Hasnat said the conduct of police and the legal system in recent days has raised doubts about whether any real change has occurred since the July uprising. He alleged that police officers openly declared loyalty to a political ideology in front of the prime minister, adding, “The police were never supposed to belong to any political party.”

He further claimed that police officers are being pressured with threats over promotions and postings to act as partisan enforcers, warning them not to repeat the mistakes of serving as “slaves” of the Awami League.

Hasnat also said the Jhenaidah incident should not be seen as a local matter but as something directed from the centre, criticising police for their handling of NCP leader Tarek Reza’s arrest and for allegedly refusing to file a case for eight hours after the attack on Patwary.

Other speakers at the press conference echoed his concerns. Among those present were Central Jubo Shakti Organising Secretary Rifat Rashid, NCP Joint Member Secretary Tarek Reza, who has been released on bail, and other central leaders.