How impactful will the student-led political party be?

The leaders of the National Citizens’ Committee are optimistic of making a strong appearance and gaining public support — the way they received during the uprising. Photo: TBS

Ever since the fall of the Awami League regime following a mass uprising led by the students, one question has lingered in everyone's mind — will the students form a political party now? Could the people of Bangladesh finally see an alternative beyond the two dynastic parties?

The National Citizens' Committee, which emerged as a pressure group, has been working to support the government, hold it accountable, address the remnants of the former autocratic system, reform the nation, and influence policymaking in public interest.

Now, Nasiruddin Patwari, the convenor of the National Citizens' Committee, has given a clear answer to the question about forming a new party. 

"From this standpoint, the National Citizens' Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement will present a promising new political party within the next one to two months," he declared on Victory Day.

They have already formed nearly a hundred district and sub-district committees across the country. But how strong and competitive will they be? And can they compete with veteran parties like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)?

"Our journey will start with a mindset focused on governance, so that at the very least, we can play the role of the main opposition party. That is our target"

Akhter Hossain, Member Secretary, National Citizens' Committee

A recent survey found that 38% of Bangladeshis are still undecided about who to vote for if there is an election now. Only 2% of respondents said they would vote for any new political party formed by students.

The survey titled 'Pulse Survey on Citizens' Perceptions, Expectations and Experiences' was carried out by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD).

"Forming a political party is a constitutional right of citizens. I appreciate that a youth-led group came forward to initiate a political party and most importantly, a good number of them were active participants of the July Uprising. I hope they will understand and act accordingly, following the spirit of the uprising and democratic values," Dr Saimum Parvez, lecturer of Political Communication at DW Academy, told The Business Standard.

Three frontline leaders of the July movement, Nahid Islam, Mahfuz Alam and Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, are now advisers of the interim government. Some people are criticising the fact that students are simultaneously part of the government and are also forming a party.

"This possesses a certain degree of conflict of interest. They should find a way to avoid being a "King's Party," Dr Parvez noted.

However, Nasiruddin Patwari says they are not forming any King's party. Their argument is that it is not the government that is forming a party, it is the students. 

Dr Parvez believes that the prospect of the emergence of a strong and competitive party would depend on how successfully they can establish a strong grassroots structure and coalition partners.

"Their main challenge would be building grassroots support in a very short time, retaining popular support, which seems to be waning, and keeping a visible distance from the interim government, even if it requires resignations from the government positions."

To tackle these challenges, could the students form an alliance with another political party? 

Joint Convenor of the National Citizens' Committee, Sarwar Tusher, said, "Politics cannot be done without allies; we must seek allies. However, an objective answer to this will come in a month or two. For now, we are moving forward on our own."

However, the fact that they are already facing challenges in reaching the grassroots level has become evident in a controversial statement by Nasiruddin Patwari.

He, on behalf of the National Citizens' Committee, has requested the "maximum cooperation" of all removed councilors from city corporations and municipalities across the country in forming a new political party. 

This statement has sparked discussions, criticisms, and debates on social media. BNP and its student wing leaders and activists have criticised it, calling it a form of 'rehabilitation of the Awami League'.

On the other hand, they have clarified that many of the removed councilors from city corporations and municipalities supported the students during the July movement. The committee insists that its statement was not aimed at rehabilitation, but rather a general appeal.

The BNP and other political parties are pushing for an early election, while, on the other hand, the National Citizens' Committee has been inclined towards delaying the process. They argue that elections should not take place before ensuring justice for the genocidal acts of the Awami League. 

While their demand appears logical, many experts believe that the real motive behind this is to bide time for organising their new party.

"The student-led party should engage themselves to build a strong grassroots support base. Up until now, their support is mainly based in urban areas and among university students," Dr Parvez suggested, adding, "Instead of prioritising populist policies with immediate success, they should concentrate on a long-term plan and present themselves as a viable alternative."

The leaders of the National Citizens' Committee are optimistic of making a strong appearance and gaining public support — the way they received during the uprising.

"Our journey will start with a mindset focused on governance, so that at the very least, we can play the role of the main opposition party. That is our target," National Citizens' Committee Member Secretary Akhter Hossain told BBC Bangla recently.

However, Dr Abdul Latif Masum, retired professor of the Department of Government and Politics at Jahangirnagar University, believes that toppling a government and running a government are not the same. Hence, the students will not get as much public support as they expect.

"A dominant political party like BNP or AL has connections to various stakeholders of the state, like civil society, bureaucracy, and local administration. In a complex political landscape such as ours, gaining mass popularity and acceptance is a tough job," he explained.

In the political context of Bangladesh, unlike the Awami League and BNP, no major political party with nationwide reach has emerged in the past four decades. Although several political parties have been formed over time, none of them have been able to transform into a large party like those two.

But in the absence of the Awami League, to establish democracy, a sustainable opposition to compete with the well-established BNP is necessary. Otherwise, it could lead to the rise of another autocracy.

"I don't think it's appropriate for them to form a political party and participate in elections while three of them are part of the government. Thus, as a political scientist, I would suggest they form a party not before, but after this election. This would also make it clear that the July movement was not driven by any political agenda," Dr Masum concluded.