Jatiya Nagorik Party led by Nahid Islam launched

Jatiya Nagorik Party launched by July Movement student activists Friday. Photo- Rakibul Hasan-UNB

Jatiya Nagorik Party (JNC), a new political platform formed by student activists of the July Movement, was officially launched through a public ceremony at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital on Friday evening.

Leaders of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) came together to float the party, with Nahid Islam as its convener and Akhter Hossen as the member secretary.

A partial central committee of the party was announced at the event, which drew thousands of people from across the country.

Samanta Shermeen and Ariful Islam Adeeb were made as senior joint conveners, while Tasnim Jara and Nahida Sarwar (Nova) were named senior joint member secretaries.

Besides, Hasnat Abdullah was designated as the chief organiser for the southern region, while Sarjis Alam took on the role for the northern region.

Nasiruddin Patwary was made chief coordinator, with Abdul Hannan Masud as senior joint coordinator.

The launch event began at 4:20 pm with recitations from the Holy Quran, Gita, Tripitaka and Bible.

This was followed by the singing of the National Anthem and a one-minute silence in honour of those who were martyred during the July mass uprising.

Meem Akhter, sister of Ismail Hossain Rabbi, who was martyred during the July Uprising, formally announced the names of the convener and member secretary.

Member secretary Akhter Hossen later declared the names of some other key leadership positions.

The names for other vacant posts in the central committee will be announced soon, said Akhter Hossen.

Earlier, several student leaders, including Samanta Shermeen, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Nasiruddin Patwary, Nusrat Tabassum and Abdul Hannan Masud, spoke at the event.

Convener of Jatiya Nagorik Party Nahid Islam on Friday said one of their new political party’s primary goals is to formulate a new constitution through a ‘constituent assembly’ election to establish the ‘second republic’ in Bangladesh.

“We must eliminate all possibilities of reestablishing constitutional dictatorship by formulating a new democratic constitution. One of our primary goals is to formulate a new constitution through the election of a constituent assembly to establish our second republic,” he said at the launch event of the new party.

Nahid was addressing the event, immediately after the announcement of a partial central committee of the new party at Manik Miah Avenue in the capital on Friday evening.

He said Jatiya Nagorik Party will be a democratic, egalitarian and people-representing political party.

“We believe that the July 2024 student-people uprising has initiated the struggle to establish our second republic," the party chief said.

He said Bangladesh can never be divided anymore. “There will be no room for pro-India or pro-Pakistan politics in Bangladesh. We all will build politics and the state unitedly, keeping Bangladesh and the interests of its people in mind,” Nahid added. - UNB