[🇧🇩] Political ambition of anti-discrimination protesters

[Saif]

New student-backed political party to contest in all 300 constituencies: Rifat Rashid

Rifat Rashid, central executive committee member of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has announced that the student-backed political party will be launched in February. He also said that the party aims to field candidates in all 300 parliamentary seats in the upcoming elections to fulfil t

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

New student-backed political party to contest in all 300 constituencies: Rifat Rashid
Published :
Jan 26, 2025 23:03
Updated :
Jan 26, 2025 23:03

Rifat Rashid, central executive committee member of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has announced that the student-backed political party will be launched in February. He also said that the party aims to field candidates in all 300 parliamentary seats in the upcoming elections to fulfil the aspirations of the people in the post-July period.

He made these remarks on Sunday (January 26) during an exchange meeting held at the Mohammad Ali Yeakub Ali School field in Tetuljhara Union, Savar.

Rashid warned that any party that fails to meet public demands or resorts to oppression, similar to the ousted Awami League, will also be rejected by the people.​

 

[Saif]

'Those who think they will buy students with chairs in Parliament are wrong'

Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the central committee of the anti-discrimination student movement, said, those who think they can grab power by buying students with some chairs in the parliament are wrong, according local media reports. "Hasina and the Awami League government could not buy us d

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

'Those who think they will buy students with chairs in Parliament are wrong'
FE ONLINE DESK
Published :
Jan 27, 2025 22:57
Updated :
Jan 27, 2025 22:57

Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the central committee of the anti-discrimination student movement, said, those who think they can grab power by buying students with some chairs in the parliament are wrong, according local media reports.

"Hasina and the Awami League government could not buy us during the mass uprising. Now those who think that they will grab power by buying students with some chairs in parliament, they are mistaken. I tell those who want to go towards power, come to the people instead of going towards power. We will be by your side too."

He said this while speaking as the chief guest at a view exchange meeting of students and people titled 'Rising Chuadanga' held at Chuadanga Government College Road Poura Mukta Mancha ground on Monday.

Presided over by Aslam Hossain, convener of Chuadanga district unit of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, the meeting was conducted by Saffatul Islam, member secretary of the district committee, and discussed important issues like fascism, democracy, movement and reform.​

 

[Saif]

‘No decision yet on us joining political party’

Information Adviser Nahid Islam said yesterday that there has been no decision about student representatives resigning from the interim government to join a political party.

www.thedailystar.net

‘No decision yet on us joining political party’
Says Nahid about the July uprising leaders in govt

Information Adviser Nahid Islam said yesterday that there has been no decision about student representatives resigning from the interim government to join a political party.

"No such decision [to resign] has been made yet. If and when it happens, we will announce it ourselves. If we decide to join a political party or quit the government, we will announce it officially."

Nahid, also the posts and telecommunications adviser, made the remarks while speaking to journalists at the ministry.

"No such decision has been made from my end or Asif's [Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan] end. We're carrying out our roles within the government."

A Bangla daily newspaper reported yesterday that advisers Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud were set to resign from the cabinet and join a political party likely to be floated by the July uprising leaders in February.

Asked about the report, Nahid said, "I have seen the report. The newspaper did not clarify its source. They should have been more responsible in their reporting.

"I had previously mentioned that we will not join any political party while still being part of the interim government."

Asked whether the Awami League would be banned, Nahid said the government has yet to reach a decision.

"Since the judicial process is ongoing, we want to see how far the legal proceedings go and what the court rules."

He further said the matter needs to be discussed with political parties, as it is both a legal and a political decision.

"Personally, and from the perspective of student leaders, we believe that after what the Awami League has done over the past 15 years, including the massacre in July, they should no longer be allowed to do politics under the name and banner of Awami League," said Nahid.

He, however, said they do not want to begin a cycle of political vengeance.

"We want justice, and reconciliation as well," said Nahid.​

 

[Saif]

Students could form political party: Yunus to FT

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has indicated that students in Bangladesh might form their own political party. “This is a good time because I’m always protecting the unity of the nation. I do not want to depart from that. One of the possibility is that the students themselves will form a

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Students could form political party: Yunus to FT
FE ONLINE DESK
Published :
Jan 30, 2025 20:22
Updated :
Jan 30, 2025 20:57

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has indicated that students in Bangladesh might form their own political party.

“This is a good time because I’m always protecting the unity of the nation. I do not want to depart from that. One of the possibility is that the students themselves will form a party," he said while speaking on the "Rachman Review" podcast, hosted by Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator of the Financial Times

Yunus acknowledged the potential challenges ahead for the students too. "Maybe in the process of forming a party, they will fall apart. That’s also a danger because politics is getting in, and all the politicians will penetrate into them. So we don’t know whether they can remove themselves from the politics that we have in the country. This is the kind of chance we have to take. But the students are ready. They are campaigning. They are organizing throughout the country," he said.

The Financial Times recorded the weekly podcast during Yunus’ visit to Davos in Switzerland, where he attended the 55th World Economic Forum meeting. The podcast, featuring Yunus, was published in writing on Thursday.​

 

[Saif]

Leave government before forming party

Fakhrul tells student leaders, urges them to avoid confrontational politics

www.thedailystar.net

Leave government before forming party
Fakhrul tells student leaders, urges them to avoid confrontational politics

Photo: AFP

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the people of Bangladesh will not accept if the students -- who steered the Anti-Discrimination Movement -- form a political party by remaining in the interim government.

Speaking at a programme on Saturday, he also called upon the student leaders to refrain from making unnecessary remarks that may lead to political confrontation.

"If students form a new political party, we don't have any objection. In fact, we'll be delighted and we'll welcome them," Fakhrul said while speaking at a clothes distribution programme for the destitute at a playground in Uttara's 13-No sector, organised by the Dhaka North City unit of BNP.

He said the students can form a political party as part of their efforts to reach the people with their new thoughts and ideas.

"But if they form a party while in government, the people of this country will not accept it," the BNP leader observed.

Fakhrul further expressed his commitment to cooperate with the students if they form the party through an accepted process.

"We'll work shoulder to shoulder with you (students) to ensure a fair election. At the same time, I would like to request you not to bring any unnecessarily confrontational rhetoric into politics. We hope for that," he said.

The BNP leader said efforts are being made to destroy the unity among democratic forces by the associates of the Awami fascists. "We must remain alert to avoid it."

Fakhrul also warned that the ghosts of the Awami League are trying to infiltrate different political parties. "Don't let them do it. I urge our leaders and workers to ensure that no ghosts of the Awami League intrude into our party."

The BNP leader said the nation was freed from the autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina through the mass uprising. "But our ultimate goal – the restoration of democracy -- has not yet been achieved."

He called upon the interim government to arrange the national election after completing the necessary reforms as early as possible.

Fakhrul said their party leaders and workers fought and struggled for 15 years for the restoration of democracy through a credible election.

"Many of our leaders and workers died over the last 15 years. In the July movement, 426 of our leaders and activists were killed. What we ask from you (the interim government) is to remain neutral. You must remain completely impartial," he said.

He reiterated that the next election must be held under a neutral government. "We want the interim government to ensure the election is held in a completely neutral manner," Fakhrul said.​

 

[Saif]

A young adviser may resign to lead a new political party

Top leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Movement and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee said the new party will be a centrist party.

en.prothomalo.com

A young adviser may resign to lead a new political party
Staff Correspondent
Dhaka
Published: 03 Feb 2025, 20: 13

The Anti-Discrimination Movement and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee are going to unveil a new political party in mid-February and a young adviser may resign from the interim government to take the responsibility of the new party.

Top leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Movement and the Jatiya Nagarik Committee said the new party will be a centrist one . They have received several proposed names but have not yet finalised it. Discussion is underway to determine the party symbol.

Several sources of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee said any of three advisers representing the students in the interim government – Mahfuj Alam, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain – will resign and lead the party and the remaining two will may also quit the government at their convenience. One of the latter two may resign in June and join the party, according the sources.

When asked, Jatiya Nagorik Committee member secretary Akhter Hossain told Prothom Alo on Sunday evening a formal announcement on the formation of their will come at the last half of February. The party will be a centrist party focusing national interests other than the right and left ideologies. They want to bring new faces who have no political affiliations but sided with the mass uprising.

Discussion is underway on the party’s name, launching date and venue, Akhter Hossain said adding, “We are trying to understand the public opinion. Names of student advisers from the interim government also came up in our discussion but this has yet not been finalised. Besides, if they resign how the representativeness of the student will remain in the government is also being discussed.”

A source of the Anti-Discrimination Movement said a brother of an adviser can hold an important post in the new political party. That individual is a member of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee.

A student-people mass uprising led by the student platform Anti-Discrimination Movement ousted the Awami League government on 5 August 2024 while the Jatiya Nagorik Committee was launched in last September aimed at strengthening the forces of mass uprising for the nation rebuilding. Jatiya Nagorik Committee gave the first committee on 8 November 2024. As of 1 February, they formed representative committees in 257 thanas and upazila and had mor than 34,000 representatives across the country.

The Anti-Discrimination Movement formed the first committee on 2 November. As of 1 February, they have convening committees in 30 districts, 5 cities, 8 thanas, 2 universities, three colleges and a polytechnic institutes. They have about 8,500 members.

However, the Jatiya Nagorik Committee will remain as a civil political platform and the Anti-Discrimination Movement will continues its activities even after the formation of the new political party by the students.​