In Dhaka, Bangladesh, former student leaders who spearheaded last year’s mass uprising resulting in the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, have taken the first steps into Bangladesh’s political scene by launching the National Citizen Party. This move aims to carve out new space in a political environment that has long been dominated by the rival dynasties of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia. The party was introduced at a rally in front of the Dhaka Parliament, where the crowd was promised significant political reforms for the country that won its independence in 1971 following a brutal conflict with Pakistan.
The launch attracted thousands of mostly young attendees. The critics of interim government leader, Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, dismiss the newly formed party as the “King’s Party,” insinuating it is under his influence. Nonetheless, analysts suggest that this new political group might disrupt the entrenched power dynamics in this South Asian nation. The party has been christened the Jatiya Nagarik Party, or National Citizen Party, with Nahid Islam, a prominent 26-year-old student leader, at its helm. Alongside her, nine other student leaders have been appointed to crucial positions. A 151-member committee forms the foundation of this newly birthed party. Advocates of the party hope it will instigate political reform, addressing issues of nepotism and corruption pervasive in Bangladeshi politics.
The party’s declared mission is to dismantle “constitutional autocracy” and promote a democratic rewrite of the nation’s constitution. Islam emphasized the need for systematic transformation over merely replacing a government and stressed the vision of achieving unity above division, and justice over vengeance, aiming to outshine the legacy of dynastic politics. The launch event saw invitations extended to Yunus and his interim government’s advisers, along with leaders of other political factions, notably excluding Hasina’s Awami League and its former coalition partners. Though foreign diplomats were also invited, representation from India and other major powers was absent.
Islam and the burgeoning party have been vocally advocating for legal action against Hasina concerning numerous deaths attributed to the previous year’s uprising. They have also criticized India for exerting unjust influence in Bangladesh, causing tensions between the two countries. A massive stage erected near the Parliament building in Dhaka was the platform for the event, which organizers claimed would attract 300,000 people, although eyewitness accounts estimated attendance at around 50,000.
While the level of Yunus’ involvement in forming the new party remains uncertain, his critics allege it is another project under his influence. Nonetheless, political analyst Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah suggested the party serves a greater purpose. It seeks to engage youth disconnected from mainstream politics led by traditional parties like Hasina’s Awami League and Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, possibly enjoying Yunus’ influential support.
Looking ahead, the National Citizen Party aims to gain official registration with the Election Commission to contest in upcoming elections, anticipated between December and June 2026. It will endeavor to forge alliances, excluding Zia’s BNP, which aims to establish dominance in the next government. The new party’s stance on collaborations with parties like Jamaat-e-Islami remains speculative. Hasina’s Awami League faces significant pressure as she takes refuge in India amidst a crackdown leading to many leaders and activists being arrested or going into hiding. Simultaneously, the Yunus-led interim government has struggled to stabilize the nation since Hasina’s removal.
