Bangladeshi students who toppled former premier Hasina’s government form political party

DHAKA, Bangladesh 

Bangladeshi students who deposed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday officially formed a new political party to contest the next general election, which is expected to take place at the end of the year.

Nahid Islam, a key leader in the student movement, resigned from the government’s advisory council on Feb. 25 and has been named convener of the newly formed National Citizens’ Party (NCP).

The transitional government was formed on Aug. 8 after Hasina fled to neighboring India on Aug. 5 following a 36-day protest that began in July.

Thousands of people from all over the country have attended the program near the national parliament building, the majority of whom are students and youth.

A family member of a person killed during the mass uprising kicked off the program, which was attended by families of those killed, those who lost limbs or eyes, and those who were injured.

Other political parties, including the key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, attended the event as guests.

However, the parties criticized the move as the “king’s party” forming the political avenue despite being members of the government. Two key student coordinators are still in the government as ministers, officially known as advisers.

In his declaration of the new party, Nahid Islam emphasized the goal of establishing a “second republic” and said, “There will be no place for pro-India and pro-Pakistan politics in Bangladesh. 

“In July 2024, the students and people, through immense sacrifice, brought down the fascist government that had been in power for a decade and a half in an unprecedented uprising,” he read.

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