DHAKA, Bangladesh — Students in Bangladesh who led a mass uprising to topple former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last summer are now diving into politics by forming the new National Citizen Party.
The aim is to create new political space in a fiercely divisive dynastic political landscape. For decades, the country’s politics have been dominated by two former prime ministers and archrivals — Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.
The announcement came Friday at a rally in front of Parliament in Dhaka, during which political reforms were promised for a country born in 1971 through a bloody war against Pakistan.
Thousands of people, mainly youths, gathered to witness the moment. Critics of Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, who heads the interim government, say the new party is nothing but a “King’s Party” blessed by him. But political analysts say the new platform might be able to break the decades-long traditional political power structure in the South Asian nation.
The new party has been named the Jatiya Nagarik Party, or National Citizen Party.
Nahid Islam, a 26-year-old prominent student leader, was named as the head of the party. Nine other officials — all of them student leaders who rose to prominence during the mass uprising in July and August — have been named to top positions, according to Bangladeshi media.
A 151-member committee of the party was announced during the launch.
Supporters say a party is needed to bring reforms to the country’s political culture of nepotism, and to tackle corruption and lack of democratic practices.
Islam announced that the party’s mission is to dismantle “constitutional autocracy and adopt a new democratic constitution.”
“We must eliminate all possibilities of restoring constitutional autocracy. Now is the time to dream anew, to march forward, and to build a new Bangladesh,” Islam said as he read out the declaration.
He said that the mass uprising wasn’t merely about ousting a government, but also about reshaping the entire political framework.
The party is committed to fostering a political culture where “unity prevails over division, justice replaces vengeance, and merit triumphs over dy