SAD, Nagorik Committee to launch new party on 28 Feb from Manik Mia Avenue

The Students Against Discrimination (SAD) and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee will launch their new student-led party at 3:00pm on 28 February at the Manik Mia Avenue near the Jatiya Sangsad building in Dhaka.

Details regarding the party's leadership will be revealed during the launch, leaders of the two organisations announced at a press conference organised at the JANAC office in Bangla Motor in the capital at 7:50pm today (24 February).

Speaking at the press conference, Nagorik Committee's Key Organiser Sarjis Alam said, "At 3:00pm on 28 February, the Students Against Discrimination and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee will jointly launch a new political party on Manik Mia Avenue adjacent to the Jatiya Sangsad building,"

"We will take the oath in front of the Jatiya Sangsad building as a symbol of the nation's hopes and aspirations. Because for the past 54 years, the Jatiya Sangsad has been made a breeding ground for tyranny and a place for party policymaking."

Meanwhile, citing data from a public opinion survey titled "A New Bangladesh in Your Eyes", Nagorik Committee Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain said more than 2,00,000 people from all walks of life have participated in this campaign across the country for 15 days. "This has expressed a collective opinion."

"In the survey, people have expressed their opinions on making the country corruption-free, establishing good governance, accountability, social justice and creating equal opportunities for all.

"Effective steps have been suggested to increase the quality of services provided by state institutions. Our new political party's program will try to fulfil these expectations of the public. It also talks about honesty, ethics and practising internal democracy in leadership elections," he said

Speaking about the leadership of the party, Akhter said, "Many suggestions have been made about the name of the party. It has been suggested to keep the name consistent with the July Uprising and the history of Bangladesh.

"After partial analysis, the names Jantar Dal, Nagorik Shakti, Republic Party, Nagorik Dal, Bangladesh Nagorik Party, etc have been the most common."

Speaking about the party symbol, he said suggestions for the party symbol included symbols of struggle and development, and more national symbols such as the rising sun, book, and pen.

Also speaking at the event, SAD's Key Organiser Hannan Masud said, "The people of Bangladesh did not get the political structure they desired after independence. From 1971 to 1990 or in 2007. Then in 2024. in this situation, the students will announce a new party as the much-desired party of the people of Bangladesh."

SAD Member Secretary Arif Sohel said the 2024 mass uprising took place with the same spirit as 1947, 1971 and 1990.  

"The student-public of Bangladesh wants to see a new party and welfare state. For this, a new political force is needed. The Jatiya Nagorik Committee was formed by gathering those who were with us in the form of a crowd during the mass uprising.

"Now it is time to transform this historical force into a political party. This party will be formed with the historical responsibility of Bangladesh," he said.