Faction of July uprising activists, NCP breakaways to unveil new platform this Friday

A new political platform led by a faction of the July uprising activists and breakaways from the National Citizen Party (NCP) is set to make its debut this Friday.

The platform, ideologically rooted in social democracy, will be joined by current and former leaders of the left-leaning Bangladesh Chhatra Union, as well as socio-cultural activists who played active roles in the uprising to topple the Sheikh Hasina government.

The official launch will be announced from the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on January 16, said founding member Anik Roy, a former joint convener of the NCP.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Anik said, “We want to carry forward the generational fight.”

He added that the platform’s economic framework would be based on the concept of a “democratic economy”.

Distinguishing itself from traditional political parties, the organisers plan to introduce a rotating leadership structure to prevent the accumulation of power.

“The leadership structure will be fluid, meaning the chief of the platform will change every three or four months,” Anik explained.

The platform comprises several prominent figures, including former Dhaka University student Mir Huzaifa Al Mamduh; Meghmallar Bose, president of the Chhatra Union’s Dhaka University unit; Nazifa Jannat, vice president of the Chhatra Union central unit; and Ferdous Ara Rumee, poet and activist.

Sakhawat Fahad, former Chhatra Union president of the Dhaka University unit, also confirmed that he is involved in the platform.

Although the organisers have not yet settled on a name, they have rented a temporary office in Dhaka’s Eskaton area.

“From January 16, we will officially start circulating membership forms,” Anik Roy told this newspaper.

This development comes days after former adviser Mahfuj Alam issued a call for “fresh blood” in the political landscape.

In a Facebook post on January 10, Mahfuj wrote, “In the last two weeks, I have spoken to hundreds of students and citizens who were once optimistic about a new political settlement. I saw a kind of frustration and lack of confidence in everyone I spoke to. But, at the end of the conversation, we came to the decision that we all want to try once more.”

He invited those who believe in a discrimination-free system, human rights and justice and are uninterested in traditional bi-party or alliance structures to connect.