National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam Saturday expressed firm solidarity with young people in India demanding electoral accountability and defending democratic rights.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Nahid said recent detentions of peaceful protesters, organisers and journalists in New Delhi, along with internet suspensions and restrictions at Jantar Mantar, "directly threaten fundamental freedoms."
He said concerns over electoral integrity and institutional independence require transparent answers, not barricades and censorship.
Drawing parallels with Bangladesh's July 2024 uprising, Nahid said the student-led movement against recruitment quotas turned into a nationwide uprising against 15 years of authoritarian rule.
The state responded with live ammunition, he said, adding that the United Nations later estimated as many as 1,400 people were killed during the uprising and its suppression.
He recalled the solidarity Indian students, writers and independent voices showed during the uprising.
He also paid tribute to India's traditions of democratic resistance, citing the women of Shaheen Bagh and generations of students at JNU and Jadavpur University.
Noting the presence of young Indian women on the streets, Nahid said women were also at the forefront of Bangladesh's July Revolution, and their courage and sacrifices helped secure its victory.
The NCP convener said Hindutva majoritarianism, fascism and every form of religious supremacy must not define South Asia's future.
He said his party rejects authoritarianism, communal hatred and political intolerance in India as it does in Bangladesh.
"No society is truly democratic while minorities live in fear, dissent is criminalised, and citizenship is conditional on identity," he said.
He called on Indian authorities to: respect the right to peaceful assembly;.disclose the whereabouts and legal grounds for the detention of protest organisers; immediately release those held for exercising their rights; and ensure journalists can report without intimidation or equipment seizure.
Referring to Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, Nahid said they continue to be kept behind bars for years without trial.
He described all of India's young protesters and prisoners of conscience as "comrades."
He said the struggles of the two countries are interconnected, extending to unresolved issues such as border killings, water sharing, environmental protection and national sovereignty.
He said he wants a South Asia where nations treat each other as equals and "sovereignty is never an excuse for domination."
Concluding the statement, Nahid urged the people of India to stand firm, protect one another and reject communal hatred.