In a historic move, the student leaders who led the July mass uprising in Bangladesh and deported Sheikh Hasina formed a fresh political party named Jatiya Nagorik Party yesterday in a bid to rebuild the state with a focus on national interests and the well-being of Bangladeshi citizens.
Nahid Islam, who declared the demand for Sheikh Hasina’s resignation just a day before August 5,resigned from the advisory council of the interim government and has assumed the role of convener. Other top uprising leaders also assumed key roles in the central committee of this youth-led party, which champions centrism as its ideology.
At the grand inaugural event held on Manik Mia Avenue in the capital, just before the national parliament building, Nahid Islam addressed a massive crowd of supporters and acknowledged the sacrifices of the July uprising’s student activists, the families of martyrs, and political leaders.
“We want to talk about the future. We want to move beyond the past and discuss the possibilities of Bangladesh,” he said.
He declared that Bangladesh would never face division again and emphasized that pro-India or pro-Pakistan politics would no longer have a place in the nation. He noted that the plot to undermine the citizens and the state through divisive politics had been thwarted by a united front during the mass uprising, and he invoked the uprising’s slogan—“Who are you, who am I? Alternative, alternative”—to position the Jatiya Nagorik Party as a new political alternative.
Nahid Islam also read out the party’s declaration, which outlined Bangladesh’s historical background and the need for a new political framework following the uprising.
He remarked that despite achieving independence over fifty years ago, the nation had yet to establish a system that guaranteed democracy, equality, human dignity, and social justice. Over the past fifteen years, a ruthless fascist regime had turned state institutions into tools for the ruling party, suppressing opposition through enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings while systemic corruption and money laundering became ingrained in the culture.
“In July 2024, through tremendous sacrifice, the youth and the populace ignited an extraordinary uprising that overthrew the fascist regime which had held power for almost fifteen years. However, this newfound freedom was not merely about replacing one government with another; it was a fight to dismantle an entrenched system and reconstruct the state based on the fundamental rights of the citizens,” he explained.
He emphasized the need to build a second republic by drafting a new constitution through an elected constitutional assembly, renewing fractured political, social, economic, and cultural institutions, and establishing a robust national defense to safeguard the nation’s interests.
The event, which featured recitations from the Quran, Gita, Tripitaka, and Bible, began at 4:20pm with the singing of the national anthem and a one-minute silence in memory of those martyred during the July uprising. Thousands of people joined the procession marking the party’s launch, with attendees from the capital and various districts. The party was formed by leaders of the Jatiya Nagarik Committee (JNC) and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM).
Key figures in the new party include Akhter Hossain, who hailed from the anti-quota student organization Ganatantrik Chhatra Shakti and was appointed Member Secretary; Samanta Shermeen and Ariful Islam Adeeb, chosen as senior joint conveners; Tasnim Jara and Nahida Sarwar (Nova), who took on the roles of senior joint member secretaries; Nasiruddin Patwary, named as Chief Coordinator; and Abdul Hannan Masud as Joint Coordinator. Additionally, Sarjis Alam was designated as the chief organizer for the northern region, and Hasnat Abdullah for the southern region.
Other leaders emphasized the significance of the uprising and the sacrifices made.
Nasiruddin Patwary recalled that over the past 15 years, discussions of democracy had been met with enforced disappearances and killings. He observed that the people had gathered out of hope for a new Bangladesh, not for incentives, and noted that from the historic Parliament Building—freed from autocracy on August 5—a new political party was now emerging.
Samanta Shermeen said that the sacrifices of the July martyrs imposed a responsibility to form a new party, while Sarjis Alam stressed that uniting all political parties was essential to properly organize Bangladesh and restore its institutions, warning that failure to do so could lead to another autocracy.
Hasnat Abdullah declared his determination to bury dynastic politics in the country, asserting that leadership should be based on merit rather than family ties. He also emphasized that political tolerance, freedom of expression, and respect for dissent would prevail, and he criticized the persistent failure to establish a functional bureaucracy, independent police force, or judiciary.
On foreign relations, he asserted that while Bangladesh would maintain friendly ties with other countries, decisions regarding governance would be made solely by the people of Bangladesh.
Senior Joint Chief Coordinator Abdul Hannan Masud pledged to rebuild the nation under the leadership of the youth, and Senior Joint Member Secretary Dr Tasnim Zara called for an end to family-dominated politics, advocating for a system where power is returned to the people.
Nowsher Ali, the father of a July martyr, expressed his hope that the country would no longer suffer the bloodshed experienced in 1971, the nineties, or during the July 2024 uprising.
The event was attended by political leaders from various parties, including BNP’s Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Prof Mia Golam Parwar, Nagarik Oikya’s Chairman Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Ganosamhati Andolon’s Junaid Saki, Biplobi Workers Party’s Akbar Khan, Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Ashraf Ali Akand, Hefazat-e-Islam’s Ahmad Ali Qasemi, Bangladesh Labour Party’s Dr. Mostafizur Rahman Iran, and Islami Oikyajote’s Sakhawat Hossain Razi. Also in attendance were representatives from Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Bangladesh LDP, Khelafat Majlis, the Development Party, AB Party, and Jamaat Dhaka South, along with Vatican City Ambassador Kevin S. Randall and Pakistan High Commission Counselor Kamran Dhangal. Although Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and his advisory council members, Information Adviser Mahfuz Alam and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, were invited, they were not seen at the event.