In a surprise political maneuver ahead of anticipated elections, Bangladeshi students who led the coup against last year’s government have created a new political party, the Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, or Democratic Student Council. The new party has key organizers from the influential Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement that was at the center of the uprising that ousted the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August.
The political atmosphere in Bangladesh is not always peaceful, and some of the elements have since accused the new group of undermining the revolutionary movement. The tensions were recently high when the issue of representation resulted in fistfights among members during the naming of the party.
Besides, other SAD leaders who were included in the interim government when Hasina departed for India are also going to announce another separate party on Friday.
The Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad has also been joined by students who were previously part of Hasina’s Awami League youth wing. Party leader Zahid Ahsan affirmed that they follow ensuring the rights of the students, justifying, “While embracing students from the Awami League, we ensured none of them were involved in mass murder and torture during the revolution.” He further stated that the organization was strong in backing the cause of the mass movement to end the autocratic Hasina regime.
Sheikh Hasina resides in self-imposed exile in India, despite Dhaka having issued an arrest warrant against her for serious crimes, including crimes against humanity. There has been renewed tension recently, with over 150 individuals injured this month in violence between groups of competing students.
Caretaker government prime minister Muhammad Yunus, Nobel laureate microfinancing pioneer, has indicated general elections are to be held in late 2025 or early 2026. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which has been the opposition party to Hasina for years, is expected to be the dominant force in the next elections.
