New party launched under 2 former army officers, Selim Pradhan chief adviser
A new political party, the Bangladesh Republic Party (BRP), has been launched under the leadership of two former military officers, with several other former personnel from the armed forces holding key positions in the party.
Selim Pradhan, who came to prominence six years ago after being arrested in an online casino crackdown, has been made the party’s chief adviser.
The formal announcement of the party was made at the Central Shaheed Minar on Friday afternoon. The names of the central committee members were read out by Sanjida Khan Dipti, mother of martyred Anas, who was killed during the July people’s uprising.
Lt. Com. (retd.) Md Mehedi Hasan has been made the president of the newly launched party while Maj. (Retd.) Md Rajibul Hasan as general secretary, Md Selim Pradhan chief adviser, Sayeed Ali Sikdar senior vice‑president, Cap. (retd.) Shafiqul Islam, Lt. Col. (retd.) Imran, Md Ayaz Ahmed, Advocate Nasir Uddin, and Md Bayezid were made vice‑presidents.
Lt. (retd.) Saifullah Khan, Sajjad Hossain Yunus, and Md Ahsanullah have been made joint general secretaries while Maj. (retd.) Rakibul Hasan, and Manzur Hossain made organising secretaries. Hafez Abul Hasanat, Md Jahidul Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim Roni, and Kamrul Hasan are the assistant organising secretaries, legal affairs secretary Olid Ahmed, women and children affairs secretary Anika Tasneem Khan, assistant secretary Mousumi Akhter Sumi, labour affairs secretary Shahadat Hossain, Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs secretary Maj. (retd.) Shahedul Islam, assistant secretary (assistant director) Md. Zahirul Haque, disaster and relief affairs secretary Yasir Arafat, hospitality affairs secretary Monirul Islam, assistant secretary Mst. Sharmin Akhter Mukta, education affairs secretary Md. Rahul Amin, and health affairs assistant secretary is Sourav Chandra Majumder.
The party’s slogan is “country above all.” Explaining the motto, president Lt. Com. (retd.) Md Mehedi Hasan said, “We are not here to do the vote-oriented politics; we are here for pro-people politics. We wish to pursue a Bangladesh‑centred politics; neither Delhi‑centric, Pindi‑centric nor New York‑centric. Anyone who builds a fair relationship with us is our friend. Our goal is to build relations with all on the basis of justice.”
Joint general secretary Sajjad Hossain Yunus read out the party’s declaration at the programme.
The written statement said, “Inspired by the spirit of the historic ‘47, the great Liberation War of ‘71, and the popular uprising of ‘24, we—patriotic citizens from various walks of life—announce the formation of the Bangladesh Republic Party (BRP) to build a discrimination-free, just and welfare-based country. The July movement, in which nearly 2,000 brave souls were martyred and over 30,000 injured while resisting fascism and striving for good governance, is our guiding inspiration.”
According to the declaration, the BRP will be a nationalist party, committed to building a fair, welfare‑oriented state free from discrimination. The party’s foreign policy will focus on independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and relations based on mutual respect and dignity.
It was stated at the launching event that the BRP aims to act not merely as a political party but as a “new political platform,” prioritising collective welfare, justice and civic dignity over individual or group power.
Among the leaders of this newly launched party, Selim Pradhan is a known face. A team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested him from a Thailand‑bound flight at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport during the nationwide anti‑casino drive on 30 September 2019.
Later, several lawsuits were filed against him. In one of the Anti‑Corruption Commission cases he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment; he completed that sentence and was released in 2024.