Participants in the July uprising are set to launch a new political party by the end of this month, with plans to form a student organization as well.
In a significant move, key organizers of the July uprising are preparing to unveil their new political party in the final week of February. Alongside the political platform, they are also set to announce the formation of a student body.
The initial announcement will introduce the convening committees for both the party and student organization. Nahid Islam, a prominent figure in the anti-discrimination student movement and an adviser to the interim government, is expected to take a leading role, likely as convener or member secretary. Other key figures from both the Jatiya Nagorik Committee and Students Against Discrimination platforms, including Nasir Uddin Patwary, Akhter Hossen, and Hasnat Abdullah, are anticipated to assume leadership positions in the party.
The Jatiya Nagorik Committee and Students Against Discrimination have been holding meetings to finalize the party’s structure and leadership. According to sources, Nahid Islam is expected to become the convener, though the final decision rests with him. Other prominent student representatives, such as Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan and Mahfuj Alam, may also join the new party.
The new party is said to embrace a centrist ideology, avoiding extremes of the political spectrum, with a focus on addressing the needs of youth, economy, education, healthcare, gender equality, and religious tolerance. The party’s founding principles will reflect a commitment to democratic norms, influenced by the movements of 1947, 1971, and 2024. A draft charter is being shaped by a 17-member special committee that includes constitutional experts and political analysts.
The party’s name is still undecided, but potential options such as “People’s Revolution Party” and “Equality and Development Party” have emerged from public suggestions collected through a nationwide campaign. As of now, more than 200,000 opinions have been gathered, with the aim of reaching half a million by the end of the campaign.
Regarding the student organization, it will likely be led by Abu Baker Majumdar and Abdul Kader from Students Against Discrimination. While the student body will be ideologically aligned with the new political party, it will maintain autonomy. Plans include setting an age limit of 27–28 years for members, with a maximum of seven years in the organization since their enrollment in undergraduate programs.
Liberty News’ political correspondent states that these developments unfold, the new party aims to attract individuals from various political backgrounds, including former members of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and leftist groups, though members with ties to the Awami League’s controversial actions, particularly the violence of the July uprising, will not be accepted.
LND/BAIZID
