ISLAMABAD: Bangladeshi students who played a leading role in last year’s protests that forced then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country are preparing to launch a political party, sources with direct knowledge of the development confirmed on Monday.
The group, Students Against Discrimination (SAD), led the protests initially sparked by opposition to public sector job quotas but quickly grew into a wider, nationwide movement that culminated in Hasina’s exile to India in early August 2024.
The student group is reportedly finalizing plans to officially launch the new political party at an event scheduled for Wednesday, according to sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Nahid Islam, a prominent student leader and advisor to Bangladesh’s interim government since Hasina’s departure, is expected to lead the party as its convener. Islam, who has been a vocal advocate for student interests within the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, is expected to step down from his current position to focus on his new political role.
Islam did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Yunus has indicated that elections could be held by the end of 2025, and analysts speculate that a youth-led party may dramatically alter Bangladesh’s political scene. However, Yunus has confirmed that he has no intention of running in the upcoming elections.
The office of Yunus has not yet responded to inquiries about the launch of the student-led party.
Since Hasina’s departure in August 2024, Bangladesh has been grappling with ongoing political unrest, with more than 1,000 fatalities linked to the protests. The United Nations Human Rights Commission recently reported serious human rights violations committed by officials from Hasina’s former government and security forces against the protesters, though Hasina and her party have denied any wrongdoing.
