Bangladeshi students who ousted former PM Hasina to launch political party

Bangladeshi students who were at the forefront of last year's protests that ousted then prime minister Sheikh Hasina are to launch a political party this week, two sources with direct knowledge of the development said.

The Students Against Discrimination group spearheaded the protests that began as a student-led movement against public sector job quotas but quickly morphed into a broader, nationwide uprising that forced Hasina to flee to India as the unrest peaked in early August.

The student group is finalising plans to launch the new party during an event likely to be held on Wednesday, said the sources who did not want to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

Nahid Islam, a student leader and adviser to the interim government that took charge of Bangladesh after Hasina's exit, is expected to lead the party as convener, the sources said.

Islam has been a key figure in advocating student interests in the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has been at the helm of Bangladesh since August 2024. Islam is expected to resign from his role to focus on leading the new political party.

He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Yunus has said elections could be held by the end of 2025 and many political analysts believe a youth-led party could significantly reshape the country's political landscape. Yunus has said he was not interested in running.

Yunus' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the launch of the party.

The South Asian nation has been grappling with political unrest since Hasina left after weeks of protests during which more than 1,000 people were killed.

Officials from Hasina's former government and security apparatus systematically committed serious human rights violations against the protesters during the uprising, the UN human rights commission said this month.

Hasina and her party deny any wrongdoing.

Reuters