The National Citizen Party (NCP) has demanded that a Constituent Assembly election be held before any national vote in Bangladesh, pressing for the annulment of the existing Constitution and the adoption of a new one.

The party the demand on Saturday evening at a discussion at its temporary office in Dhaka’s Banglamotor, as the draft of the July Charter was being finalised for circulation among political parties.

The initiative is part of its broader push for “a new political arrangement” through a new Constitution.

“We, the NCP, are mobilising the people to build a future Bangladesh with a new constitution. And if any election is to take place in this country, the Constituent Assembly must come first,” said the party’s Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary.

On the first anniversary of the student-led Uprising, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus announced in a televised address that the general election would be held before Ramadan in February.

The following day, the Chief Advisor’s office sent a letter to the Election Commission (EC) asking them to prepare for the vote.

The EC has indicated that a roadmap for the election will be announced this week.

In this context, the NCP’s top leadership reiterated that the February election plan ignores the sacrifices made during the Uprising.