A student-led political party may debut in mid-February. Now, last-minute preparations are underway. A thorough analysis is underway about what will be in the party's constitution. It is learned that they will try to attract the second or third most important leaders of BNP in parliamentary constituencies, upazilas and unions to the party. However, the door will be closed to Awami League leaders.
On Sunday (January 26), various reports were published in several national dailies about the formation of a new political party under student leadership. According to those reports, 11 familiar faces who led the July mass uprising may come to the top of the leadership of this new political party. At least one of the three student advisers will be the leader of the party.
According to sources, the youth leading the uprising are working with the goal of 'abolishing the fascist system and implementing a new political settlement' as a phase of the student-people's uprising. Their party will take a stand against extortion, usurpation, syndicates and corruption.
Sources further said that the name of the new party and the convening committee will be announced anyday between February 10 and 20. The committee's shortlist includes three student advisers in the interim government, Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Mahfuz Alam. The other members are Jatiyo Nagorik Committee convener Nasiruddin Patwari, member secretary Akhtar Hossain, spokesperson Samantha Sharmin, chief organizer Sarjis Alam, and the central convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Hasnat Abdullah, member secretary Arif Sohel and spokesperson Umama Fatema.
Top leaders of the Jatiyo Nagarik Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement said that the most discussions are currently going on about the three student advisers in the interim government. No final decision has been made about them yet. Discussions will continue about them until the party is announced. Considering the benefits of both the party and the interim government, one or two of them will resign from the government and join the political party.
The leaders of the two platforms said that the name of Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam is being talked about the most regarding joining the party and taking the leadership. Several reluctant leaders said that more than a hundred names have been proposed from different stages so far regarding the name of the political party.
They said that some names have already been shortlisted from the names. The final name will be announced on the day of the inauguration.
Regarding the constitution, Mushfiqur Us Salehin, central executive member and co-spokesperson of the Jatiyo Nagarik Committee, said, "We want to build an organizational structure in which a person with qualifications can rise to the top leadership from the grassroots. We are working to ensure that the people of the country can accept and hold the new party constitution as their own, just like in the days of the July mass uprising."
A source in the Nagarik Committee said that there is a plan to create a response to the party announcement. The student leadership of the mass uprising is being accused of glorifying the mass uprising of 1924 rather than the Liberation War and 1971. To address this, the party was initially planning to launch on March 26, Independence Day. However, since Ramadan and the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays begin on that day, a large gathering would not be possible for the launch event – February was chosen out of concern.