Students’ platform that toppled Hasina regime forms political party in Bangladesh

Dhaka: The students' group that led the protests against Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina launched itself as a political party on Friday, declaring there will be no room now for pro-India and pro-Pakistan politics in the country.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement or Students against Discrimination (SAD) turned into 'Jatiya Nagorik Party' or National Citizen Party (NCP) at a rally at Manik Mia Avenue in central Dhaka with one of the key leaders of the July-August uprising, Nahid Islam, as its convenor.

The student leaders also issued a declaration at the event, which was attended by representatives of some political parties and envoys of the Vatican and Pakistan.

The student movement led a mass protest leading to the ouster of Hasina's over 15 years of rule on August 5 last year. Three days later, Muhammd Yunus assumed charge as the Chief Adviser of the Interim government.

The NCP’s inaugural rally began with a recitation from the Quran, the Bhagwad Gita, the Bible and the Tripitaka, followed by the national anthem.

A minute of silence was also observed in memory of those killed during the July uprising.

“There will be no room for pro-Indian and pro-Pakistani politics in Bangladesh. We will build the state keeping Bangladesh, the interest of the people of Bangladesh ahead,” NCP’s convenor Nahid Islam said.

“We want to talk about the future,” he said. “We want to move beyond the past and discuss the possibilities of Bangladesh.” The party would be “solely Bangladesh-oriented, dedicated to the country's progress,” echoed SAD coordinator Nusrat Tabassum.

SAD member secretary Arif Sohel told the gathering at the inauguration of the party: “People will no longer accept elite groups or dynastic loyalty. Instead, future leaders will emerge from the working class — farmers, labourers, and the children of daily wage earners.” He added that the new political party will uphold this vision and fulfill the people's aspirations.

Family members of those who lost their lives during the July-August 2024 mass protests, leaders of different political parties, except Hasina’s Awami League and its allies in the past regime, joined the NCP’s inauguration event.

According to the mass circulation Prothom Alo and other newspapers, two foreign diplomats -- ambassador of Vatican in Dhaka and Pakistan High Commission’s political councilor -- joined the function and took the front row seats reserved for foreign diplomats.

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) sent its senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and joint secretary general Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anny to the event. It was also attended by Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Mia Golam Parwar and several other Islamic parties and right and left wing groups.

Most of the top leaders of the NCP began their political activism during the 2018 movement for reforms in quota system for government jobs and later under the banner of the Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad during the 2019 Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) elections.

The new party was floated with the blessings of Yunus, who assumed as the chief adviser, effectively the prime minister, as the SAD nominee.

Neither Yunus nor any other representative of his council of advisers, attended the function.