Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Bangladeshi students who led last year’s mass protests to depose Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have launched a political party before parliamentary elections expected to be held within the next year.
At the party’s inaugural rally on Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka, NCP Convener Nahid Islam declared that pro-India and pro-Pakistan politics will have no place in Bangladesh. “Bangladesh will no longer be divided by external conspiracies,” he said. “We will rebuild the country for its people.”
Islam, the 26-year-old face of the July uprising, resigned as adviser to the ministry of information and broadcasting in the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead the NCP. The party’s central committee will have about 150 members.
The NCP aims to break the dominance of Bangladesh’s two longstanding political dynasties—the Awami League (AL), led by Sheikh Hasina, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), headed by former premier Khaleda Zia and her son, Tarique Rahman.
BNP, now seen as the frontrunner for the next election, has softened its stance on the student-led movement, with deputy leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stating, “We welcome the new party. Since its leader has resigned from the government, we currently have no objections.”
Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist group historically aligned with BNP but now distanced from it over election and other issues, has also cautiously welcomed the NCP. Jamaat Secretary-General Mia Golam Parwar noted, “Bangladesh has a bitter history of rulers forming state-sponsored parties to impose authoritarianism. We hope this is different.”
The NCP traces its roots to Students Against Discrimination (SAD), the movement that organized the July uprising. Some SAD leaders have formed Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad (Democratic Student Council, DSC), an independent student group aimed at preserving the spirit of the revolution.
Lima Akter, sister of slain protester Ismail Hossain Rabby, announced Nahid Islam as NCP’s leader, vowing to seek justice for those killed by security forces during the uprising.
Muhammad Touhid, a first-year BBA student at National University of Bangladesh, echoed widespread discontent: “We had no freedom of expression under the previous regime. Corruption is a major obstacle, and we want a permanent end to it. This new party is our hope.”
A ‘Second Republic’ and an Independent Foreign Policy: At the rally, NCP leaders promised to focus on national unity over division, transparency over corruption, and an independent foreign policy to build a “second republic.” Akhtar Hossen, the NCP member secretary, told this correspondent, “Our politics will be about good governance, equality, and civic benefits for all.” Hossen cited inspiration from India’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Pakistan’s PTI, and Türkiye’s AK Party, but stressed, “Bangladesh has its own unique context, and we aim to set a distinct example.” To shape their agenda, NCP founders surveyed nearly 200,000 people, identifying corruption, education reform, and universal healthcare as key priorities.
Despite its momentum, NCP faces early struggles. Some former Jamaat-affiliated student leaders have alleged exclusion from leadership positions due to their political backgrounds. Ali Ahsan Zonaed, a former leader of Jamaat’s student wing, stated, “We wish them well but feel sidelined.”
Political analyst Zahed Ur Rahman warned that ideological diversity within the NCP—ranging from leftists to conservatives—could lead to internal rifts. “It must maintain unity to avoid becoming another fragmented movement,” he said. Meanwhile, some student leaders remain in the interim government, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Rezaul Karim Rony, editor of Joban magazine, noted, “Public support during the uprising will not automatically translate into political success. The NCP must offer a clear vision that resonates beyond rhetoric.”
For now, Bangladesh’s political landscape is shifting. The BNP is poised to dominate the next election, while Sheikh Hasina, now in self-imposed exile in India, faces an arrest warrant in Dhaka. The NCP has a narrow window of opportunity, says Rony. “The July uprising awakened a demand for new politics. If the NCP meets that demand, it can become a dominant force. If not, it won’t.”