For the past few days, rumours have been circulating on social media and mainstream media suggesting that Nahid Islam, the Adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is stepping down from the interim government to lead a new political party.
After confirming these rumours through discussions with leaders of the National Citizen's Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, it is now clear that Nahid’s last day in government will be Tuesday.
The following day, Wednesday, February 26, he will officially launch the new party, which will be led by the youth.
Sources indicate that the new political party will be introduced in a grand event on Manik Mia Avenue, near the National Parliament, on Wednesday.
In preparation for this, Nahid Islam will resign from his advisory position in the interim government on Tuesday.
Leaders from the National Citizen's Committee explained that since Ramadan is expected to begin in March, they have decided to launch the party before the end of February. They aim to draw a crowd of around 100,000 people to the event, and party members are working tirelessly toward this goal.
Multiple committees are already working on preparations for the event, including one for organizing the ceremony and others focused on drafting the party's constitution and declaration. These committees have been meeting regularly, with the latest meeting taking place on Friday.
Earlier, the National Citizen's Committee launched a campaign titled "A New Bangladesh in Your Eyes," which received over 350,000 responses. They are now in the process of verifying this feedback.
While the launch event is nearly set, details about the party’s name and organizational structure are still being kept under wraps.
Final discussions are taking place between leaders from the National Citizen's Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement to determine leadership positions.
It is almost certain that the student leaders who played a prominent role in the July people's uprising will hold key positions in the new party.
It has also been confirmed that Nahid Islam will serve as the party’s convener, with Akhtar Hossain likely to become the general secretary.
In addition, two new positions—Senior Joint Convenor and Senior Joint General Secretary—will be created based on consensus. The positions of Convener, General Secretary, Spokesperson, and Chief Organizer will also be part of the party's leadership structure.
It is confirmed that key positions in the new party will include National Citizen's Committee Convener Nasiruddin Patwari, Joint Convenor Ali Ahsan Junayed, Spokesperson Samantha Sharmin, Chief Organizer Sarjis Alam, and Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Convener Hasnat Abdullah.
Negotiations are ongoing to finalize who will hold which position, but it is expected that Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah may be appointed as the Chief Organizer and Spokesperson, respectively.
In a statement, Akhtar Hossain, the Secretary of the National Citizen's Committee, mentioned that several committees have been formed to draft the constitution, and declaration, and establish discipline within the party. Discussions have also been held regarding the launch event’s timing and format.
Although the leadership is not yet finalized, negotiations are ongoing. Leaders will be selected based on factors such as political experience, acceptability, and alignment with the party's vision. Akhtar expressed hope that the official launch will take place by the end of the week.
