Student protesters who played a key role in ousting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have rejected calls from Bangladesh’s leading political parties for immediate elections.
Instead, they are considering forming their own political party to consolidate the reforms they have championed, according to interviews with several movement leaders.
Their goal is to prevent a recurrence of the past 15 years, during which Hasina’s administration exercised authoritarian control over the country of approximately 170 million people.
The movement began in June with a group of students protesting a law that allocated government jobs to specific groups.
Public outrage over the government’s harsh response to the protests, which resulted in at least 300 deaths, quickly led to Hasina’s downfall.
The unrest was the deadliest since Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
Dubbed a Gen Z uprising, the protests reflected young Bangladeshis’ frustration with stagnant job growth, allegations of corruption, and eroding civil liberties.
An interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and including two student leaders in key positions, now governs the country.
For decades, Bangladesh has been ruled by either Hasina’s Awami League or the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Khaleda Zia, both of whom are in their seventies.
Mahfuj Alam, chairman of a committee that connects the government with various social groups, revealed that student leaders are considering forming a new political party to challenge this long-standing duopoly.
Alam, a 26-year-old law student, told Reuters, “We are discussing the formation of a new party and aim to decide in about a month.
We want to engage with the public broadly before finalizing our platform.”
Tahmid Chowdhury, another student leader involved in Hasina’s removal, indicated that forming a political party is likely.
While the program is still in development, it is expected to focus on secularism and free speech.
Chowdhury, a 24-year-old graduate student in world religions, stated, “We don’t have another strategy to disrupt the political binary without forming a party.”
The interim government has yet to outline specific policies but has emphasized the need for institutional reforms, including overhauling the electoral commission, which was appointed by Hasina, to prevent a return to authoritarian rule.
Nahid Islam, a 26-year-old protest organizer now serving in Yunus’ cabinet, said, “Our movement aimed to build a new Bangladesh free from dictatorship.
Structural reforms are essential, though they will take time.”
The interim administration is not considering early elections as requested by the Awami League and BNP.
The regime change has led to the dismissal of key officials, including the chief justice, the central bank governor, and the police chief responsible for the crackdown on students.
A spokesperson for Yunus, who has shown little interest in holding elected office, did not comment on the students’ political plans.
Touhid Hossain, Yunus’ de facto foreign minister, noted that while the students have not yet discussed their ambitions with technocrats, “The political landscape will shift significantly as we have largely excluded the younger generation from politics.”
Yunus, an 84-year-old economist known for his microcredit initiatives, holds considerable moral authority, though there are concerns about the effectiveness of his administration.
Constitutional expert Shahdeen Malik remarked, “We are navigating uncharted territory legally and politically, as there is no constitutional framework for this interim government.”
Interviews with over 30 individuals, including student leaders, Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed, opposition figures, and military officers, reveal the deep divisions left by the protests and the uncertain future of the new government.
Hasina, who hopes to return to Bangladesh, could not be reached for comment. Wazed, speaking from the United States, told Reuters, “The political parties aren’t going anywhere.
You can’t erase us. Eventually, either the Awami League or the BNP will return to power. Without our support, stability in Bangladesh will remain elusive.”
