Following the downfall of the Awami League in the wake of the mass uprising led by students and citizens, speculation has been rife about the formation of a new political party comprising key figures from the protest movement.
Although leaders of the movement are currently operating under different banners—such as the Jatiya Nagorik Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement—they are expected to unite under a single platform soon.
According to Akhtar Hossain, member secretary of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, the new party is set to be formally launched in the third week of February.
The party is expected to feature a cohort of young advisers, several of whom are likely to resign from the interim government to join the new political entity. Multiple sources from both the Jatiya Nagorik Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement indicate that the top four positions in the party may be occupied by Nahid Islam, Akhtar Hossain, Sarjis Alam, and Hasnat Abdullah.
However, when asked about leadership positions, Akhtar Hossain told BFirst, “We have yet to finalise decisions on the top positions of the new political party.”
Regarding the involvement of student advisers, he stated, “The current interim government has three student representatives in its advisory council. If they decide to join us politically, they will have to step down from their government roles first.”
He refrained from naming specific student advisers who would be part of the party from its inception.
Meanwhile, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has already suggested that if the student leaders intend to form a political party, they must first resign from the government.
In response, interim government information adviser Nahid Islam affirmed, “If we are to establish a political party, we will leave our government positions accordingly.”
Sources indicate that Nahid Islam will likely be the first to resign from the advisory council, followed by other advisers in due course.
Speculation is also mounting over the convenorship of the upcoming party, with names such as Nahid Islam, Nasiruddin Patwary, and Mahfuj Alam being circulated. Nasiruddin Patwary currently serves as the convenor of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee.
For the role of member secretary, Akhtar Hossain, Arif Sohel, and Samanta Sharmin are reportedly under consideration.
Additionally, the key contenders for spokesperson and chief organiser include Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Umama Fatema, Abdul Hannan Masud, and other senior leaders from both the Jatiya Nagorik Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
When asked about the student wing of the new party, Akhtar Hossain stated, “We have not yet decided on who will constitute the student wing of the party. However, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement will remain a non-political platform and will not serve as our student front.”
Sources suggest that Democratic Student Power, a student organisation whose activities were stalled following the formation of the interim government, is the most likely candidate to serve as the student wing of the new party.
As for the party’s name, Akhtar Hossain remarked, “We will launch a campaign to understand public expectations regarding the name, symbol, and identity of the new political party. We aim to gather the opinions of at least one lakh people before making a final decision.”
Meanwhile, despite initially setting a target of forming committees in 400 police precincts across the country by January, the Jatiya Nagorik Committee has so far managed to establish 300.
“Our membership is extensive, and the process of screening individuals based on their political stance has taken time,” Akhtar Hossain explained.
“This is why we could not meet our target within January.”
