Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
The student leaders who led last year’s ‘anti-fascist mass uprising’ that resulted in the ouster of former premier Sheikh Hasina, are working to form a political party to protect their achievements, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus has said.
In an interview with the UK-based Financial Times, Yunus told Gideon Rachman, the newspaper’s chief foreign affairs commentator, that a student-led political party is a strong possibility. “The young uprising leaders are campaigning and organising across the country to form their own party and prepare for the next general elections,” he said.
While the students are not keen on political careers, Yunus noted, they feel compelled to enter politics to prevent a return to the old power structure. “Young people are joining or creating [a] political party [only] under the circumstances. This is needed because they have to protect the things they have earned by their blood,” he stated.
However, he cautioned about challenges in forming the party. “Maybe in the process of forming [a] party, they will fall apart. That’s also a danger because politics is getting in, 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,” Yunus warned. Despite this, he expressed confidence, saying, “But the students are ready.”
Amid speculation that student representatives in the interim government might resign to join the new party, student leader and interim government information adviser Nahid Islam said no decision has been made yet. He added that when a decision is made, it will be officially announced.