Nahid to step down on Tuesday, new political party to launch the next day

A new political party, with young leaders at its helm, is set to be introduced next Wednesday with a grand event on Manik Mia Avenue, near the National Parliament. 

The day before, on Tuesday, Nahid Islam will resign from his position as an advisor. 

This information has been confirmed by discussions with leaders of the National Citizen Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. 

The news was reported by Samakal.

Leaders of the National Citizen Committee mentioned that as Ramadan is beginning in March, they intend to launch the new party before February ends. 

They have set a target of gathering around 100,000 people for the party’s launch event and are actively working to achieve this goal.

In preparation for the launch, several committees have been formed. 

Among these is the event preparation committee, and separate committees have been tasked with drafting the party’s constitution and declaration. 

These committees have been holding frequent meetings, the latest of which took place last Friday.

Earlier, the National Citizen Committee initiated a campaign called ‘New Bangladesh in Your Eyes,’ in which more than 350,000 people provided their opinions. 

The committee is now in the process of reviewing these inputs.

When asked, Akhtar Hossain, the secretary of the Citizen Committee, told Samakal, “We have established various committees focused on maintaining discipline, drafting the constitution, and creating the declaration. In several meetings, we discussed the timing and format of the launch event.” 

He further added, “We have also launched the ‘New Bangladesh in Your Eyes’ public opinion survey, which has brought us over 100,000 pieces of data. We have internally reviewed those inputs. Several preparatory committees are in place, and we hope to officially launch the party by the end of this week.”

Although the launch timing is almost finalized, the party’s name and organizational structure have yet to be settled. 

There are still disagreements between the leaders of the National Citizen Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement over key leadership positions. 

The only confirmed leader so far is Nahid Islam for the position of convener, while student leaders have indicated that Akhtar Hossain is almost confirmed for the post of member secretary.

Additionally, important roles are expected to be taken by Nasiruddin Patwari, the convener of the National Citizen Committee, Ali Ahsan Junaid, joint convener, Samantha Sharmin, spokesperson, Sarjis Alam, chief organizer, and Hasnat Abdullah, the convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. 

However, discussions about the specific roles these individuals will hold are ongoing. A joint meeting involving all parties has not yet been held to resolve these differences, although several leaders have expressed that efforts are being made to reach a compromise.

In reference to these issues, Ali Ahsan Junaid posted on Facebook, stating, “Any new political arrangement faces a variety of uncertainties during its initial stages, and the same is happening with the National Citizen Committee. This is not something to be viewed negatively. We have noticed a lack of proper processes and transparency in several areas within the Citizen Committee. To ensure these problems are not present in the new party, we have raised questions regarding the formation process and leadership.”

He further explained, “Representatives from different organizations that emerged after the July uprising, former council members, representatives from the Qawmi-Hefazat faction, and former Shibir members have all come together to make these demands. Unfortunately, the way leadership is being formed in this political party is neither democratic nor inclusive. I believe there should be open discussions involving everyone in the Citizen Committee, and the new political party should be formed through a transparent, democratic process.”

Regarding this, Akhtar Hossain commented, “The leadership has not been finalized yet, and discussions are ongoing. We will decide on the leadership through mutual understanding, keeping in mind factors like acceptability, political experience, and alignment with the party‍‍`s goals and vision.”

Student Group Finalized

Meanwhile, the new anti-discrimination student organization is expected to be announced either today or tomorrow. 

Initially, Abu Bakar Mojumdar has been proposed as the central convener, with Zahid Ahsan as the member secretary, Rashidul Islam Rifat as chief organizer, Abdul Kader as convener of the Dhaka University chapter, and Mohir Alam as member secretary. 

Other potential candidates for important positions include Sanjana Afifa Aditi, Rafia Rehnuma Hridi, and Hasib Al Islam, though these appointments have not been finalized yet.

Abu Bakar Mojumdar is a student of the 2019-20 academic year in the Department of Geology at Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall of Dhaka University, while Zahid Ahsan is from the Department of History. 

Abdul Kader studies at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research and resides in Bijoy Ekattor Hall, and Mohir Alam is a student of the Mathematics Department at Amar Ekushey Hall. All three students belong to the 2018-19 academic year.