Ilias Kanchan enters politics, launches Janata Party Bangladesh

A new political party named Janata Party Bangladesh has been launched, with actor and road safety activist Ilias Kanchan as its chairman and former BNP vice-chairman Shawkat Mahmud as its secretary general.

With the slogan "Gorbo Mora Insafer Bangladesh", the party's formation was announced at an event held at a hotel in Dhaka today (25 April).

Former state minister Golam Sarwar Milon has been named as the spokesperson of the party.  

Shawkat Mahmud, who is also a former president of the National Press Club, was expelled from the BNP on 21 March 2023 for breaching party discipline.

The newly formed party includes not only politicians but also individuals from a varied range of professional backgrounds, including journalists, lawyers, retired military officers, and former civil servants.

Speaking at the launch, Ilias Kanchan said, "Our party is being led by a group of experienced individuals from diverse backgrounds, which gives it a unique character.

"We are preparing to contest in the upcoming national elections and plan to field candidates in all 300 constituencies."  

A long-time road safety campaigner, Kanchan founded the Nirapad Sarak Chai (We Demand Safe Roads) movement after the tragic death of his wife, Jahanara Kanchan, in a road accident in 1993.

Despite repeated calls over the years for him to enter politics, this is the first time he has officially done so.