National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam today alleged that a climate of fear is re-emerging in the country and that the government is resorting to old tactics to suppress dissent.

He made the remarks as the chief guest at a discussion titled "July of Harmony" at the Shafiqul Kabir Auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital.

The event was organised to discuss the contributions of the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities to the July uprising.

Nahid said the government should respond with the utmost vigilance to incidents such as attacks on temples during Durga Puja and attacks on the Buddhist community in Cox's Bazar.

“The current law and order situation is not satisfactory. We can see this in various ways. But communal issues must be given the highest priority while ensuring law and order,” he said.

Nahid also alleged that attempts had been made to use social media to portray minor incidents in a different context and rapidly spread tension across the country.

“Various agencies and political groups lie in wait to take advantage of this. They deliberately try to create communal divisions and destroy harmony because they want to portray Bangladesh as a country where communal harmony does not exist,” he said.

Calling for such efforts to be resisted collectively, he said the July uprising sought to establish an inclusive society founded on responsibility and compassion.

Stressing the need for institutional reforms, Nahid said people of all faiths and communities would benefit from reforms to the judiciary, democracy and the electoral system.

“Harmony can never be ensured without ensuring democracy. Democracy is a prerequisite for harmony. And reforming state institutions, the electoral system, and the judiciary is a prerequisite for ensuring democracy,” he said.

Nahid also said introducing an upper house of parliament would make it easier to ensure the representation of different communities in proportion to votes received.

He said the reforms were not intended to benefit any particular party. If implemented, they would benefit the people and the state. An independent and impartial judiciary would also make it easier to ensure justice for communal attacks.

The NCP convener also demanded justice for the communal attacks carried out over the past 16 years.

“We are talking only about the enforced disappearances and killings of the past 16 years. But from today’s gathering, we are also demanding justice for the communal incidents that took place during this period,” he said.

Nahid said the NCP had been ready to cooperate with the government on various national issues if it implemented the July Charter, ensured justice, established good governance and improved the law-and-order situation.

National unity is still necessary to make the July uprising a success and help the country overcome its economic and political crises, he said.