Bangladeshi students unveil new political party

DHAKA: Bangladeshi students who played a key role in overthrowing the government last year unveiled a new political party on Friday, the latest outfit to join the fray ahead of expected elections.

The party includes key organisers from the powerful Students Against Discrimination (SAD) group that spearheaded the uprising which ousted iron-fisted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August.

The new Jatiya Nagarik Party -- or National Citizen´s Party in English -- kickstarted its journey in front of the National Parliament on Friday, joined by thousands of supporters who wore green-and-red bandanas, the colours of Bangladesh´s national flag.

Nahid Islam, a former adviser to the interim government, is leading the new political party as the convener, while Akhtar Hossain will be the member secretary. Nahid said the new party will be a “democratic, egalitarian, people´s party”.

“A Second Republic is now the need of the hour. And for this we need the constituent assembly election first,” he said. Akhtar Hossain said their party will strive to attain “social justice, and human dignity”.