United News of Bangladesh

Thousands of people with procession are still joining the launching of a new political party of student activists of the July Movement, in the capital's Manik Miah Avenue. The launch event of the new political party named Jatiya Nagorik Party-JNC (National Citizen Party) formally started at 4:20 pm with recitations from the Holy Quran, Gita, Tripitaka, and Bible. The National Anthem was sung, and a one-minute silence was observed in memory of those martyred during the July mass uprising. Thousands of people from the city and different districts of the country  already joined the launching event. The new political party was formed by leaders of the Jatiya Nagarik Committee (JNC) and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM). The names for top ten post of the new political party have been finalised. Former information adviser Nahid Islam is certain to be the convener of the new party, while Akhter Hossen to be its member secretary. The names that were finalised for other top posts include Samanta Shermeen and Ariful Islam Adeeb for the two senior joint convener posts and Tasnim Jara and Nahida Sarwar (Nova) for two senior joint member secretary posts.

Information Adviser Mohammad Nahid Islam has indicated that he may step down from his government position to join a new political party if he feels that working directly with people is more important than serving in the government. “There are discussions about forming a new political party. If someone wishes to join, it is not possible by retaining a government role,” Nahid said in an interview with a television channel on Saturday. He said the new party is expected to be formed this month and if it happens, all will know it within a few days. BNP, Jamaat, others start meeting with National Consensus Commission Nahid Islam, a coordinator of anti-Discrimination Student Movement and student of Dhaka University, took oath as an adviser to the interim government on August 9 after the fall of Hasina govt in a mass upsurge on August 5. Nahid, who was a student of Dhaka University's Sociology Department (2016-17 session), was picked along with another adviser, Asif Mahmud, during the first round of curfew slapped by the Hasina government to suppress the quota reform movement. Later, Detective Branch (DB) members picked him along with some other coordinators while he was undergoing treatment at Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in the capital. Later, six coordinators of the movement including Nahid were forced to announce the withdrawal of the anti-discrimination student movement programme in a video message when they were under DB custody. BNP’s Rizvi fears for the future of centrist politics But after being released from there, they again announced the programme for a movement and at one stage placed a one-point demand seeking Hasina’s resignation. The movement then turned into mass upsurge with the participation of people from all walks of life, forcing Hasina to resign and flee the country. Nahid Islam was a leader of a student organisation called ‘Ganatantrik Chhatra Shakti’. Nahid was the member secretary of the central committee of the organisation.