Former Shibir leaders Ali Ahsan Zonaed and Rafe Salman Rifat decide to stay away from new political party

Former leaders of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, Ali Ahsan Zonaed and Rafe Salman Rifat, have announced that they will not be joining the new political party that is set to launch this Friday. The two made their decisions clear through posts on Facebook.

The new political party, formed by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens Committee, is set to be led by Nahid Islam and Akhtar Hossain, who will take on the roles of convener and general secretary, respectively. 

Initially, Zonaed was slated to be the senior joint convener, while Rafe Salman was expected to hold a significant position in the party.

However, recent events have led both former Shibir leaders to step back from the party. 

On Monday, Zonaed, Rafe, and two others traveled to China as representatives of the National Citizens Committee. 

Zonaed and Rafe both have notable backgrounds as former president of the Dhaka University branch of Islami Chhatra Shibir. 

While Zonaed currently serves as the joint convener of the National Citizens Committee, Rafe is the joint secretary. 

The trip to China, however, raised eyebrows within the Committee as it was not communicated officially, leading the Committee to issue a public statement on the matter.

In light of this, late on Tuesday night, Ali Ahsan Zonaed posted on Facebook, saying, "I will not be part of the new political party that will be launched on February 28. I had already informed the party leaders about this decision over a week ago. For the sake of broader unity and to keep the national focus on the new party, I chose to remain silent. However, with rumors circulating, I want to make it clear."

 

He went on to express, "Despite facing unfortunate realities, I hope this new political approach will break free from the politics of tagging and taboos. I wish that the brotherhood, love, and cooperation we shared during the time of the uprising will remain intact in our new political journey. I wish the new party, Nahid Islam, and the new leadership all the best."

The following morning, Rafe Salman shared Zonaed’s post, stating, "I will also not be part of the new political party being announced on February 28. But my political journey will not come to an end. While I don’t expect immediate significant results from the wave of new political possibilities sparked by the popular uprising, I acknowledge that politics is a long race. We must remain patient and persist in this race for the long term."

Their exit raises questions about the future of the new party and what it means for the political landscape. 

As of now, both Zonaed and Rafe remain firm in their decision to distance themselves from the newly forming party, but their political journeys are far from over.