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People of Assam may find it amazing as a student-led political party has lately surfaced in neighbouring Bangladesh with the promises for a progressive political culture in the trouble-torn south Asian country, where the Asomiyas can recollect their fond memories related to their very own regional political party which simply slowly lost its glory with the passes of turbulent time. But the Bangladeshis are jubilant at this moment hoping that the new political party, led by a group of youths, will uplift the populous country with all round developments in the days to come.
The moment of fortune arrived on 28 February 2025, when Jatiya Nagorik Party (National Citizens’ Party was born in Dhaka under the leadership of agitating students and young people, who compelled their sitting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India on 5 August 2024 with an aim to contest in the next national elections. Nahid Islam, who resigned as a member of the interim government led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka, was given the responsibility as the convener of JNP/NCP. Prof Yunus, who is serving the caretaker government as its chief adviser along with other interim advisers, government officers, diplomats, professionals, civil society representatives, political party leaders, individuals who were involved in the July-August mass uprising were all invited for the launching program titled Atmaprakash, which was attended by thousands of common Bangladeshi nationals.
The party was officially launched in front of Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) Bhawan following the playing of national anthem and one minute of silence observed in memory of those who were killed during the Monsoon Uprising. Reciting the texts from Quran, Geeta, Tripitak and Bible, the leaders committed to work for fulfilling the aspiration of a new Bangladesh that is democratic, peaceful and progressive in nature. They also vowed to rewrite the constitution, if elected to power, with a constituent assembly so that all provisions encouraging dictatorial laws can be curtailed. They started their political activities after paying tributes to the Muktijuddhas (of 1971 Liberation War) at Savar national martyrs’ memorial.
The country of nearly 180 million people currently records over 12 crore eligible voters and the election commission assured a free, fair and comprehensive polls to elect the Parliamentarians (unlike India, Bangladesh has no state/province and hence there is no space for any Legislators). As the Hasina-led political party Awami League is facing unprecedented challenges following her abrupt escape, the primary opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) expects a fair show in the 13th Parliamentary elections, scheduled for the year end or early next year. Recently, the BNP organised a mass gathering in Dhaka, where the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman called them virtually from London to get prepared for the polls. His mother Khaleda Zia, who is still functioning as the BNP chairman and presently in the UK for medical purposes, also addressed the meeting. Rahman emphasized on strengthening the party as ‘a democratic environment has returned to Bangladesh’ following the escape of Hasina.
Mentionable is that the BNP remains out of power in Dhaa since 2009 as the Awami League government continued to rule the Muslim majority nation till last August. Exiled for years, Rahman did not forget to appeal to the Hindu community electorates to support the BNP in achieving their goal that every Bangladeshi national irrespective of their religious faiths enjoy dignity and equal rights. Criticizing the Awami League government for politically exploiting the Hindu families for all the years, Rahman asserted that most of the attacks on religious minorities were not influenced by the religious hatred, but greediness and manipulation of some ruling individuals.
It will be a matter of observation, how the JNP/NCP leaders take the lead in Bangladesh’s electoral politics and approach immediate neighbours India and Myanmar. Till date, they have not shown any rhetoric towards India or Pakistan and it’s largely expected that the JNP/NCP will guide the country for a sustained multi-party democracy. As northeast India has more proximity to Bangladesh, anything disturbing happening there will have a negative impact on the region. Overburdened by the huge volume of illegal Bangladeshi migrants, Assam however can hardly expect better reflections from that front.
