Birth of a new political party in Bangladesh
Nava Thakuria
As presumed by many observers, a new political party is emerging in the trouble-torn Bangladesh under the leadership of agitating students and young people, who compelled the sitting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India on 5 August 2024. The new political outfit, titled Jatiya Nagorik Party (National Citizen Party), will be launched this afternoon (28 February 2025) in Dhaka to contest in the next national polls. Nahid Islam, who had recently resigned as a member of the interim government led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, is expected to take responsibility as the convener of JNP/NCP with an aim to ‘work for fulfilling the aspiration of a new Bangladesh’.
Prof Yunus, who has been serving the caretaker government as its chief adviser, was invited to the inaugural program by a group of student leaders, who met him last evening to seek blessings for the new venture. The octogenarian banker turned social business preacher turned interim government chief assured the young leaders of a favourable environment for all political parties to participate in the national elections and finally contribute in creating a peaceful and progressive nation. Other interim government advisers, officers, diplomats, professionals, civil society representatives, political party leaders, common people (who were involved in the Monsoon Uprising) were also invited for the program.
The recent outburst of Bangladesh's military chief Waker-Uz-Zaman, where he criticized various stakeholders for their infightings, received a huge international media attention. Some political analysts even termed Waker’s statement as a threatening call to the interim government, even though he publicly said that Prof Yunus was doing the best to keep everyone united. The army chief insisted on conducting a free, fair & comprehensive election by this year after necessary administrative & democratic reforms in Bangladesh. He expressed worries for deteriorating law & order situations in the country, where the criminals were enjoying impunity from the concerned government agencies.
Currently, Bangladesh has been experiencing socio-political turmoil as the Yunus-led administration is bent upon taking legal actions against the ousted PM. A recent UN report describing the horrific picture of atrocities on agitating students and common Bangladeshi nationals by the then Hasina-led authorities simply empowered the government to raise voices for her repatriation. Lately, Prof Yunus visited some secret prisons in Dhaka, which were used by Hasina to terrorize the opponents during her consecutive 15 years long tenure, to get more arguments for pursuing punishment to the ousted lady premier and many of her associates. Hasina today faces hundreds of criminal cases in her home country and Dhaka has already urged New Delhi to hand over the lady so that she can be tried under the laws.
As New Delhi is yet to entertain the request, the Yunus regime thinks of seeking an international intervention. Days back, the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several others accusing crimes against humanity and genocide under their direct influences. Originally formed by Hasina to try the pro-Pakistani elements against the 1971 Liberation War, the ICT has now been used against the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by the Yunus-administration. Lately, some Indian citizens also voiced to send Hasina back following the extradition treaty signed in 2013 and amended in 2016 between India and Bangladesh. They also raise demands to deport millions of illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingya immigrants who are taking shelter in India, imitating the example of the US government in Washington DC. They pointed out that Hasina should not be entertained with a permanent asylum as her presence will only deteriorate the Indo-Bangla relations.
Amid all political developments, the United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres is visiting Bangladesh on 13-16 March following the invitation from Prof Yunus. The UN chief had already committed to garner support for the Rohingya people, who are taking shelter primarily in Cox's Bazar of south Bangladesh after forcefully displaced from Arakan (Rakhine) State of Myanmar. Guterres, who is coming to Bangladesh for the second time (first in 2018 soon after taking the UN responsibility), earlier stated that he shared Prof Yunus's concern over the impact of the Rohingya crisis on Bangladesh and the entire region.
Meanwhile, the primary opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) started preparing for the 13th Parliamentary elections, scheduled for the end of 2025 or early next year. Addressing a BNP gathering in Dhaka recently, the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman asked the workers to get ready for the polls. Calling the BNP leaders, virtually from London, Rahman emphasized on strengthening the party as a democratic environment has returned to Bangladesh following the escape of Hasina. The party chairperson Khaleda Zia also addressed the gathering virtually as she remains with her son for advanced medical treatments in London. The Zia-led party has been out of power since 2009 as the Awami League government continued to rule the Muslim majority nation of over 170 million people till last August.
