Thousands of students and young activists took to the streets of Dhaka on Sunday in a powerful show of support for the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), pledging to rebuild the nation following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year.
Gathering in front of the Shaheed Minar, a symbolic site of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence, supporters chanted slogans for reform and democracy. NCP leader Nahid Islam unveiled a 24-point agenda aimed at building a “new Bangladesh,” including calls for a new constitution and broader civic participation.
“Exactly one year ago, we stood here demanding an end to dictatorship. Today, we stand united to build the future we dreamed of,” Islam told a crowd of nearly 1,000. He emphasized the need for a “second republic” that would replace the 1972 constitution established under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father.
Simultaneously, the student wing of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) held a parallel rally elsewhere in Dhaka. Exiled BNP leader Tarique Rahman addressed supporters virtually from London, urging youth mobilization ahead of the next elections.
The rallies come as Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’s interim government prepares to mark one year since Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, ending her 15-year rule after a wave of violent protests.
With the Awami League banned and political divisions deepening, Bangladesh’s path toward stable governance remains uncertain. Observers warn that the rise of new political forces and unresolved questions around upcoming elections could either steer the country toward democratic reform — or plunge it into renewed turmoil.
Gathering in front of the Shaheed Minar, a symbolic site of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence, supporters chanted slogans for reform and democracy. NCP leader Nahid Islam unveiled a 24-point agenda aimed at building a “new Bangladesh,” including calls for a new constitution and broader civic participation.
“Exactly one year ago, we stood here demanding an end to dictatorship. Today, we stand united to build the future we dreamed of,” Islam told a crowd of nearly 1,000. He emphasized the need for a “second republic” that would replace the 1972 constitution established under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father.
Simultaneously, the student wing of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) held a parallel rally elsewhere in Dhaka. Exiled BNP leader Tarique Rahman addressed supporters virtually from London, urging youth mobilization ahead of the next elections.
The rallies come as Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’s interim government prepares to mark one year since Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, ending her 15-year rule after a wave of violent protests.
With the Awami League banned and political divisions deepening, Bangladesh’s path toward stable governance remains uncertain. Observers warn that the rise of new political forces and unresolved questions around upcoming elections could either steer the country toward democratic reform — or plunge it into renewed turmoil.
