National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Saturday said If people’s aspirations continue to be denied, such uprisings may recur as young people fight to reclaim their rightful prospects and future.

“The previous ‘fascist government' had entrenched a discriminatory system in state administration and the economy, where 'mafias and looters monopolised power,” depriving ordinary citizens of their basic rights and legitimate aspirations,” he said.

Speaking at the 4th Bangladesh Economic Conference at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, organised by Daily Bonik Barta, he said the governance structure of the past years was designed to benefit a select group of elites while neglecting the wider population.

“As a consequence of prolonged deprivation, a sense of solidarity grew among the masses, especially the youth. That collective spirit led to the July uprising. It was not just a political upheaval; it was a deep-seated movement against inequality,” he said.

Nahid Islam said the uprising reflected broader societal demands for fairness, dignity, and equal opportunity. While many analysts labelled it a political mass movement, he emphasised that its roots were economic and social.

He identified employment creation and addressing the needs of an expanding urban middle class as the two biggest policy challenges now. Millions of young people enter the job market every year. Ensuring employment and securing the livelihoods of metropolitan middle-income families must be prioritised,” he said. Access to affordable education, healthcare, and essential public services must be guaranteed to prevent further social discontent, he added.

The NCP convener said the new governance structure must give special emphasis to modernising urban public transport, creating an environment conducive to youth employment, and scaling up entrepreneurship development across major cities.

On the role of expatriates in national development, he said migrants are eager to contribute politically and economically. “But without a justice-oriented economy, their involvement will have little impact. Development cannot sustain itself without good governance and effective anti-corruption measures,” he said.

Nahid Islam cautioned that attracting foreign investment would be impossible if “fascist tendencies or authoritarian attitudes” remain in the state machinery or political culture. “No investor will commit to a system lacking transparency, accountability and stability. Without stability, neither reform nor development can last,” he added.

He said efforts have begun to recover laundered money, describing it as part of broader initiatives to restore confidence in the economy. “This is how we intend to steer the economic situation back toward recovery,” he said.

Leading economists, policymakers, and business leaders attended the session, discussing challenges to inclusive economic growth and governance reforms.