New political platform NPA launched with 101-member central council

A new political platform titled ‘Network for People’s Action’ (NPA) has been launched through the initiative of left-leaning and centrist young activists, who actively participated in the July mass uprising.

The new platform has announced three spokespersons and a 101-member central council. The three spokespersons are Ferdous Ara Rumi, Moinul Islam Tuhin (Tuhin Khan), and Najifa Jannat.

The formal launch of NPA took place on Friday afternoon at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital. At the event, the names of the platform’s spokespersons and council members were announced by Mir Hojaifa Al Mamduh (council member).

Spokespersons Ferdous Ara Rumi and Tuhin Khan are writers and activists. Najifa Jannat is a former coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement and a leader of the Chattra Union.

Among the 99 members included in NPA’s central council are four leaders, who resigned from the National Citizen Party (NCP).

They are former joint convener of the NCP, Anik Roy (former general secretary of the Chattra Union), former joint member secretary Tuhin Khan, former deputy head of the cultural cell Syeda Neelima Dola, and former NCP member Syed Imtiaz Nadhvi.

Private university teacher Oliur San, former president of the Chhatra Union Baki Billah, current president of the Chattra Union’s Dhaka University unit Meghmallar Bosu, general secretary Main Ahmed, former co-coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement Numan Ahmad Chowdhury, and Rafsan Ahmed are also members of NPA’s central council.

After the announcement of the spokespersons and council members, the three spokespersons of NPA read out the platform’s manifesto.

Five core principles of the platform were also announced: democracy, equality, human dignity, social justice, and protection of life, nature, and the environment.

The manifesto outlines the context of various historical struggles in Bangladesh. It states that July clearly brought before us the fundamental question of the relationship between the citizen and the state of Bangladesh. July was not merely a declaration of regime change; it was an expression of the aspiration to dismantle the fascist state structure and establish a truly democratic system through state reform.

It further said that July emerged with the demand for an inclusive political space. Although the interim government has taken various initiatives for state reform, the reality after one and a half years is disappointing. At the same time, the dream of an inclusive political space that had been created has now largely collapsed.

The manifesto further states that instead, a resurgence of the language and practices of the old political order is being observed. There are serious violations of the democratic principle of ensuring the voices of minorities alongside the majority in decision-making processes. The lives of religious, ethnic, and gender minorities and marginalised communities are being pushed into greater risk. Almost all political forces are, in one way or another, engaging in discriminatory behaviour toward women, minorities, or marginalised groups. Even while using the name of democracy, the rise of majoritarianism has become evident in practice. The issue of citizens’ security of life and property is being sidelined behind political, religious, or social identities. The July uprising took place by standing against state violence, yet the right to life and human rights have still not been ensured.

Mentioning that citizens continue to be killed at the hands of state forces even after the uprising, the manifesto states that attacks by various extremist groups on citizens’ lives, property, cultural, and religious expressions are also increasing. The silence of the interim government in these incidents is making the situation even more dangerous. In this reality, there is a strong need in Bangladesh for a political platform that will prioritise the fundamental questions of democracy and democratic processes, and that will focus on building a new political space centered on citizens’ rights. It is in this context that NPA is beginning its journey with the pledge to build the power of the people and the liberation of the future.

NPA council member Mir Hojaifa Al Mamduh moderated the event. In the concluding segment, he said that a press conference would be held within the next week to announce NPA’s next course of action.

The welcome address was delivered by NPA council member Anik Roy. Among those present at the event were poet and thinker Farhad Mazhar, labour leader Moshrefa Mishu, fiction writer Mashiul Alam, writer Altaf Parvez, BASAD (Marxist) leader Sima Dutta, Rajshahi University teacher Bakhtiar Ahmed, artist Amal Akash, Rastro Sonskar Andolon leader Didarul Bhuiyan, poet Zahid Jagat, and others.

The program concluded with a collective rendition of the song “Muktir Mandir Sopan Tole.”