The student leaders who spearheaded the July-August movement are set to announce a new political party on Friday, February 28. The party will be officially launched through a public gathering at 3:00 pm on Manik Mia Avenue, near the National Parliament building. Leaders of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement shared this information at a press conference held on Monday (February 24) at their central office in Bangla Motor, Dhaka.

According to sources from the central executive committee of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, Nahid Islam, former Adviser to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunication, and Information Technology in the interim government, will lead the new political party. He has resigned from his government position on Tuesday (February 25).

The party’s senior leadership will also include Akhtar Hossain, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Ali Ahsan Jonaid, Nasiruddin Patwary, Sarwar Tushar, Abdul Hannan Masud, Ariful Islam Adeeb, and Arif Sohel.

At the press conference, Sarjis Alam, the Chief Organizer of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, stated, “The nation has been eagerly waiting for the launch of a student-led political party, and that wait will finally end on February 28. Unlike traditional political parties that prioritize personal, group, or party interests, our party will solely focus on the country’s welfare. Representatives from all political parties, families of those martyred in the July movement, the injured, victims of oppression, expatriate representatives, and members of ethnic minorities, regardless of religious or political affiliations, will attend the launch. February 28 will mark the beginning of a new chapter in Bangladesh.”

Meanwhile, Bonik Barta has obtained a draft of the party’s convening committee. The draft reveals that the committee includes members from the Jatiya Nagorik Committee’s central executive council, such as Sarwar Tushar, Dr. Tasnim Zara, Dr. Tajnova Jabin, Samanta Sharmin, Alauddin Mohammad, Sultan Mohammad Zakaria, Tarekul Islam, Akram Hossain CF, Onik Ray, Atik Mujahid, Alik Mri, Abdullah Al Amin, Ali Nasher Khan, Nahida Sarwar Chowdhury, Asad Bin Rony, Dr. Atik Mujahid, Nizam Uddin, Ataullah, Mahbub Alam, Saleh Uddin Sifat, Dr. Mahmuda Mitu, Khaled Saifullah, and Monira Sharmeen. Additionally, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement will be represented by Sohel Arif and Nusrat Tabassum.

Nahid Islam, one of the key figures in the new party, was a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. He studied sociology at the University of Dhaka and was born in Dhaka in 1998. The 26-year-old leader was arrested twice for leading the quota reform movement and endured severe mistreatment during detention. In his personal life, he is married. He served as the adviser to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology in the interim government and resigned from this position on Tuesday (February 25).

Akhtar Hossain, the member secretary of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, was elected as the social services secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) in 2019. A former law student at the University of Dhaka, he gained prominence for his activism against exam question leaks. In 2018, he served as vice president of the central committee of the Student Rights Council, a platform of quota reform activists. He is also the founding convener of Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti, a student organization that played a key role in the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. His hometown is in Rangpur.

At the press conference on Monday (February 24), Akhtar Hossain stated, “As part of the party formation process, we conducted a nationwide campaign over the past month. More than 200,000 people from different professions and backgrounds participated and shared their views. They expressed the need for a political party that is free from corruption and dynastic politics. People believe that the new generation can fulfill these aspirations.”

Regarding the party’s structure and leadership, Akhtar Hossain said, “We have not yet finalized the party’s name. We have considered around 30 names based on public suggestions from across the country. On February 28, we will officially launch through the convening committee and announce the party’s name, structure, and leadership.”

He added, “According to the newly formed party’s constitution, leadership is determined through internal voting based on party consensus. Future leaders will also be elected directly by the party’s members.”

Among the party’s key leaders is Sarjis Alam, a coordinator of the quota reform movement. He was born in 1998 in Atwari, a subdistrict of Panchagarh. Previously, he served as the general secretary of the July Shaheed Smrity Foundation and is currently the Chief Organizer of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee’s central convening committee. After passing his HSC from BAF Shaheen College, he enrolled in the zoology department at the University of Dhaka in 2017 and later completed his honors and master’s degrees. He was elected as a member of the Amar Ekushey Hall panel in the DUCSU elections. Additionally, he participated in various debate competitions at different levels. Due to his leadership in the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, he was arrested by the police.

Hasnat Abdullah, another coordinator of the 2024 quota reform movement, is currently serving as the convenor of the central committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. He was a student of the English department (2016-17 session) at the Dhaka University. Born in Debidwar, Cumilla, he was active in student movements addressing administrative issues at the university.

Ali Ahsan Jonaid, a student of the Dhaka University’s 2010-11 session, was born in Narayanganj. After completing his honors and master’s degrees in Women and Gender Studies, he is currently working as a research associate at the International Institute of Law and Diplomacy (IILD). Throughout his student life, he was involved in debating and various socio-cultural organizations. He was injured in a police attack at Shapla Chattar in 2013. As the secretary of the Islami Chhatra Shibir’s Dhaka University unit in 2018, he actively participated in the quota reform movement. During the 2024 movement, he played a key policymaking role and was directly involved in protests in Jatrabari. Politically, he served as the president of Chhatra Shibir’s Dhaka University unit and as the Secretary of education and human resource management in its central committee.

Nasiruddin Patwari is currently the convenor of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee. A student of the University of Dhaka (2013-14 session), he hails from Chandpur. He played a significant role in the July uprising and was previously involved in the politics of the Student Federation and the AB Party. In 2020, he staged a solo sit-in at Raju Sculpture, demanding an end to border killings.

Abdul Hannan Masud, a leader of the student-led mass uprising, is now the Chief Organizer of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. A student of the English department at the University of Dhaka, he was born in Hatiya, Noakhali. When top leaders of the quota reform movement were arrested, he took charge. He was previously associated with the politics of the Chhatra Odhikar Parishad and Gonotrantik Chhatra Shakti.

Sarwar Tushar, the Ioint Convenor of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, is a former student of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. Throughout his student life, he participated in various movements advocating for students’ rights. After moving to Dhaka, he engaged with different intellectual groups. While not affiliated with any political party, he was actively involved in intellectual activism advocating for state reform and the repeal of the 1972 constitution. During the July uprising, he was vocal both on social media and on the streets. Professionally, he works as an independent researcher and contributes articles to various newspapers. He is also the author of several books.

Ariful Islam Adeeb has experience serving as the central General Secretary of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad. His political journey began during the 2018 quota reform movement when he served as the Joint Convenor of the Jahangirnagar University unit. In 2019, he was one of the organizers of the ‘Corruption-Free Jahangirnagar’ movement. Adeeb was a member of the drafting committee for the Gono Odhikar Parishad’s manifesto and played a key role as one of its founding organizers.

In 2019, he suffered severe kidney damage in an attack by the Chhatra League at the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) building, requiring dialysis. He also nearly lost his eyesight. During the July uprising, he served as a liaison committee member of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and played a crucial role in organizing the Jatiya Nagorik Committee.

Professionally, from 2016 to 2019, he worked as a freelance writer for various national newspapers. Since 2020, he has been working as a broadcast and multimedia journalist. Born in Mehendiganj, Barisal, Adeeb enrolled in the Zoology department at Jahangirnagar University in 2013. He is currently serving as the Joint Convenor of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee.