Arif Sohel, the secretary-general of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, declared that the people of Bengal will no longer accept slavery to any elite group. He emphasized that the people of Bangladesh have never bowed down and have risen up repeatedly, citing 1947 and 1971 as examples. He mentioned that through every struggle, the nation’s identity has evolved. Sohel further stated that during the mass uprising of 2024, the people of Bangladesh will reject any form of subjugation. He also revealed that his organization, Janak, has formed a new political party to advocate for the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan has called on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to surrender its weapons, potentially ending a 40-year-long conflict with Turkey and bringing stability to the region. A delegation from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM Party met with Öcalan at his island prison on Thursday and later released a statement. In a letter, Öcalan stated, “I am calling for disarmament” and urged the PKK to formally dissolve itself through a congress. Turkey, the U.S., the EU, and other entities classify the PKK as a terrorist organization. Since the group launched its armed struggle for Kurdish self-rule in 1984, more than 40,000 people have been killed. While the PKK initially fought for an independent Kurdish state, its demands have since shifted to regional autonomy.

On Friday, a Chhatra League activist was detained by university students while writing “Joy Bangla” on the wall of Jagannath University. The arrested individual has been identified as Rezwanul Kabir Chayon (31). He was apprehended by students at the university’s main gate during the ongoing admission exams. After his detention, Chayon stated, “I only wrote Joy Bangla. I didn’t write it anywhere else on the walls of Jagannath. No one asked me to write it; I did it on my own.” Following the arrest, the university’s proctor assisted in handing him over to the police. Students have accused Chayon of attempting to create unrest and disrupt law and order, in line with the program of the ruling political party.

Tonight, in a political event held on Manik Mia Avenue in the capital, a new political party emerged from the youth who led the people’s uprising. At the inauguration ceremony, Nahid Islam, the convener of the newly formed “National Citizens’ Party” and former Information Adviser, declared, “There will be no place for pro-India or pro-Pakistan political parties in Bangladesh.” Leaders from various parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, attended the event.

During the inauguration ceremony on Friday afternoon, Hasnat Abdullah, a prominent leader of the “National Citizens’ Party,” stated, “We will rise above divisive politics and introduce a politics of unity.” He emphasized, “After enduring the rule of Awami Jahiliyat for one and a half decades, we are now free. This long period was marked by a culture of impunity. During the Indian aggression, BDR members were killed. A genocide was carried out on our brothers under the cover of darkness at Shapla Chattar.” He added, “We have seen the culture of rigged votes, both at night and during the day. The working class will decide who enters parliament.” Hasnat further pledged, “We promise to build independent and effective institutions. We will not engage in divisive politics but will work towards unity.”

The National Citizens Party, formed under the leadership of young people from the mass uprising, has been officially launched. Former Information Adviser Nahid Islam has been appointed as the convenor of the new party, while Akhtar Hossain has been named the member secretary. The announcement was made at Manik Mia Avenue by Shaheed Mohammad Ismail Hossain Rabbir’s sister, Maim Akhter. Maim shared an emotional note, saying, “In history, we have never seen a sister carrying her brother’s corpse; we carried our brother’s corpse on our shoulders.”

Kamrul Hasan Khokon, former central office secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League and central sub-committee assistant secretary of the Awami League, has been arrested after a video of his controversial statement went viral. In the video, he claimed, “Only 300 votes are cast, but by evening, it becomes 3,000.”

Police arrested him on Thursday from Dhaka. According to Adabor Police Station, the former student leader was taken into custody on Thursday night. Authorities have stated that the case against him is politically motivated and is registered as Case No. 18. His family has reported that Khokon is a stroke patient and also suffers from mental health issues.

A new political party, the National Citizen Party, is being formed under the leadership of young activists from the mass uprising. The leadership of the party was already present on stage at the event. Young leaders Mohammad Nahid Islam, Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, Nasiruddin Patwari, Samantha Sharmin, and Akhtar Hossain, among others, were seen on stage. However, no official announcements were made regarding the positions of the new party members. The event began with the screening of two documentaries. This political party is the result of the coordinated efforts of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens Committee.

Leaders from various political parties and diplomats attended the inauguration of the National Citizens Party. BNP leaders Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anny arrived at the venue on Manik Mia Avenue. Also present were Miah Golam Parwar, Secretary-General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, along with politicians Zunayed Saki, Jalaluddin Ahmed, Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Ahmed Ali Kashemi, General Shakhawat Hossain Razi, Amir Nurul Islam Bulbul, and Abdul Mannan. Additionally, Kamran Dangal, the political counselor of the Pakistani High Commission in Dhaka, was also present.

The National Citizens Party (NCP), formed by student leaders of the July mass uprising, was officially launched today at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka. Thousands of supporters from across the country gathered, carrying banners and national flags. The party, founded under the National Citizens Committee and Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, appointed Md. Nahid Islam as convener and Akhtar Hossain as member secretary. Security, medical teams, and other facilities were arranged. Nahid Islam resigned from the Interim Government’s Advisory Council to lead the new party.

A two-member delegation from BNP, including Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, will attend the launch event of the new political party ‘National Citizens Party’ in Dhaka. The party is being formed by the National Citizens Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Invitations for the event were sent to key BNP leaders, including Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. The launch will take place on Friday afternoon at Manik Mia Avenue.

The National Citizens’ Party, launched by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens’ Committee, began its formation ceremony today. As students gathered for the event, the Friday Jummah prayers were conducted at the venue, with one of the committee leaders performing the Imam duties. The inauguration took place on Manik Mia Avenue, in front of the National Parliament building, with the party’s formal announcement set for 3 PM.

In the Patuakhali Bar Association elections held on Thursday, BNP-backed candidates won all nine positions. No candidates from the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Lawyers Council Panel were successful, and the Awami League-backed candidates did not participate. Out of 567 voters, 396 cast their votes. Humayun Kabir won the president’s seat with 221 votes, defeating Jamaat’s Advocate Nazmul Ahsan, who received 137 votes. Mohammad Salauddin was elected unopposed as the General Secretary.

Shahjibazar Power Plant in Habiganj, which has three plants with a combined capacity of 490 MW, is only producing 30 MW of electricity. Among the remaining two plants, the 100 MW unit has operated for just 67 days in the past four years since its inauguration. The largest 330 MW plant suffered fire damage in 2022 and, due to delays in repairs, has not yet resumed production. Stakeholders are viewing this as a deep conspiracy, with daily losses amounting to 40 million BDT. Several officials from the Power Development Board have pointed out that former State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid is responsible for these losses.

The National Citizens’ Party (NCP) is set to launch today (Feb 28) at Manik Mia Avenue, Dhaka, under the initiative of the National Citizens’ Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Over 500,000 attendees are expected, with three-tier security in place. Families of July movement victims, political leaders, and diplomats will join. Nahid Islam, who resigned from the interim government, will serve as convener. Key leadership roles have been assigned. Separate booths for women, medical teams, and VIP arrangements are part of the event’s setup.