Staff Correspondent:

The name of the political party is the Samata Party. It was launched on 21 September 2024. That day, around 30 people gathered in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, most of them holding posters bearing the party’s name.

Asked why a new party was necessary, its leaders said that no political party fulfils the promises it makes to the public, and therefore…

Exactly one year after the Samata Party’s launching, the People’s Power Party was formed out of a desire to “do something for the country”. Leaders of this party have introduced themselves as “guardians of sovereignty”. At its launch on 27 September at the National Press Club, it was announced that the party has an 11-member advisory committee. However, the organisers could not produce a full list of advisers that day.

According to journalists tally, at least 26 political parties have emerged in the 15 months following the July mass uprising. Six of those parties have the word “janata” (people) in their names in some form. Launching of most of the political parties were announced through press conferences at the National Press Club; a few held their events at the Central Shaheed Minar, while one party was announced by organising a procession on the Dhaka University campus.

The most recent new political party, launched on 28 October, is the “Bangladesh United Party”.

THE OTHERS PARTIES FORMED BETWEEN AUGUST LAST YEAR AND 27 OCTOBER THIS YEAR ARE: Janata Party Bangladesh; Nucleus Party of Bangladesh (NPB); World Muslim Community; Bangladesh Janopriya Party (BPP); Sarbobhoumotto Andolan; Bangladesh Sanskarbadi Party (BRP); Bangladesh Jagrata Party; Bangladesh Ganatantrik Party; Jatiya Biplobi Parishad; Bangladesh Social Democratic Party (BSDP); Bangladesh Jano-Odhikar Party; Amjanatar Dal; Bangladesh Ganatantrik Shakti; Desh Janata Party; Janatar Dal; Ganatantrik Nagorik Shakti; Bhasani Janashakti Party; Bangladesh Notun Dhara Janatar Party; People’s Power Party; Bangladesh Republic Party; Janatar Bangladesh Party; Natun Bangladesh Party; Bangladesh Samata Party; Bangladesh Amjanagan Party; and the National Citizen Party (NCP), founded by the young leaders of the July uprising.

There are currently 54 registered political parties with the election commission (EC),; however, the Bangladesh Awami League’s registration is suspended for now. The EC is preparing to register three more parties, two of which, NCP and Bangladesh Amjanagan Party, are among the 26 new ones. Nineteen of the newly formed parties applied to the EC for registration.

Among the newly launched parties, three—NCP, Bhasani Janashakti Party and Amjanatar Dal—were invited to the signing ceremony of the July National Charter on 17 October. Of these, NCP is yet to sign the charter.

journalists contacted all 26 new parties. Between 25 October and 8 November, two correspondents visited the offices of 15 of them. Most, apart from the NCP, operate from one or two rooms. Four of the remaining 11, Natun Bangladesh Party, Bangladesh Samata Party, Notun Dhara Janatar Party and Jatiya Biplobi Parishad could not be found at the addresses listed.

Journalists contacted the other seven parties by phone and messenger. The parties are: World Muslim Community; Bangladesh Social Democratic Party (with an office in Khulna); Sarbobhoumotto Andolan; Bangladesh Ganatantrik Shakti; Nucleus Party Bangladesh; People’s Power Party; and Bangladesh United Party.

CASTING ONE’S VOTE FOR ONE’S OWN PARTY…

Bangladesh Janapriya Party operates from a two-room office on the 4th floor of an old building near Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in Dhaka. The space previously housed a tea-trading business. After incurring losses in that business, Md Sirajul Islam formed a new political party. He himself  is the chairman of the party, launched on 23 September last year through a media conference at the National Press Club.

Speaking at his office on the afternoon of 26 October, party chairman Sirajul Islam told journaliststhat he launched the party because “One has to vote for some party. I don’t like any of them. I formed the Janapriya Party so that I could vote for my own party.”

Asked how he funds party activities, he said that 9–10 standing committee members each contribute monthly donations of Tk 500 to Tk 1,000. Office rent is Tk 25,000. He uses the office space for his personal business as well and therefore pays part of the rent himself.

FINANCIAL HARDSHIP PREVENTS MAINTAINING AN OFFICE

The Bangladesh Samata Party applied for EC’s registration immediately after launching on 21 September 2024. But no party office could be found at the address listed (27/11/1 Topkhana Road). When contacted at the phone number provided, a man identifying himself as the party’s chairman, Hanif Bangladeshi, answered.

On 25 October, this correspondent met him on Topkhana Road. He said he could not rent an office for the party due to financial constraints. That is why he sits at a labour federation office, which has been provided in the application to the EC for registration.

Hanif Bangladeshi said, “I marched on foot from Teknaf to Tetulia in 2018 demanding voting rights, democracy and the rule of law. I even staged a march to the home of Felani with a symbolic dead body in protest against border killings.”

Asked why he floated a political party, he said existing parties fail to honour their promises made to the people. Besides, it was hard to move ahead without an organisation.

2 Party Chairmen Are Expats

The Jatiya Biplobi Parishad launched on 18 December last year. Its assistant member secretary, Abdus Salam, told journalistson 26 October that the party is “moving watchfully”, has not applied for EC registration, and currently has no central office. Its chairman, Khomeni Ehsan, lives in Japan.

Another party, the Bangladesh Sanskarbadi Party (BRP), was launched on 15 November 2024. Its chairman Sohel Rana lives in the United Kingdom. Party secretary general Md Touhidul Islam said the party was created to ensure that people receive justice.

‘TRAFFIC SITUATION WORSENS IF LEADERS, ACTIVISTS VISIT DHAKA’

The Bangladesh United Party was launched on 28 October. At the press conference, its chairman, Md Zakir Hossain, said the party has committees in at least 20 districts and over 100 upazilas.

However, only 60–70 people attended the event, including 20–25 journalists and YouTubers. Asked why attendance was so low if the party had so many committees, Zakir Hossain told Prothom Alo, “I do not see any need to bring everyone to Dhaka. It only increases traffic congestion.”

Earlier, on 26 April, the Bangladesh Notun Dhaka Janatar Party was launched at the National Press Club. On 7 November, when journalists requested the party’s office address, its convener Muhammad Abdul Ahad said it was located on the 6th floor of Darus Salam Bhaban in Purana Paltan. But a visit the next day found that the office actually belonged to a newspaper called Desher Dak.

Its editor, Momtajul Karim, said, “This is my newspaper office. I have good rapport with Ahad. He sometimes sits here, which is probably why he used the address.”

When contacted again, Abdul Ahad said, “After forming the party, we temporarily used that office. But renting an office costs money, which we do not yet have. We are now looking for a small place.”

CHANGING NAMES AFTER LAUNCH

A political party, initially called Bangladesh A-Am Janata Party, led by former Destiny group managing director Mohammad Rafiqul Amin, was launched on 17 April. A month later, the name was changed to “Bangladesh Amjanagan Party”.

The EC has decided to grant it registration.

The Bangladesh Nucleus Party was launched through a press conference in front of the Dhaka University central library on 23 August 2024. The party later changed its name to Nucleus Party Bangladesh (NPB).

On 8 November, chairman M Siddiq Hossain told Journaliststhat they do not yet have an office due to financial insolvency.

Explaining why he entered politics, M Siddiq Hossain said, “I came into politics to return ownership of the country to its people.”

6 PARTIES WITH “JANATA” IN THEIR NAMES

Among the 26 new parties, six include the word janata: Janata Party Bangladesh; Amjanatar Dal; Desh Janata Party; Janatar Dal; Bangladesh Notun Dhara Janatar Party; and Janatar Bangladesh Party.

Asked why the word janata is used, Muhammad Abdul Ahad of the Bangladesh Notun Dhara Janatar Party said, “People relate easily to the word. It helps reach ordinary people.”

Speaking about the use of the word janata, Janatar Bangladesh Party chairman Shafiqul Islam said, “We used the term first. Others followed.”

Actor Ilias Kanchan’s party, launched on 25 April this year, is named Janata Party Bangladesh, with the slogan “We shall build a nation of justice”.

Shawkat Mahmud, secretary general of the party, said they conducted an online poll before deciding on a name. Most respondents voted for including the word janata, as “it resonates with ordinary people”.

UPRISING-THEMED GRAFFITI INSIDE PARTY OFFICE

Of the 26 new parties, only NCP has a large, well-equipped office on the 16th floor of Rupayan Tower at Banglamotor in the capital. The walls are decorated with graffiti referencing the mass uprising. The office includes modern facilities for press conferences and meetings, separate rooms for the convener and member secretary, and additional rooms for senior leaders.

NCP has a 216-member central committee. It has committees in most districts outside Dhaka, and also at metropolitan, upazila and thana levels.

WHY SO MANY NEW PARTIES?

Professor Dil Rowshan Jinnat Ara Nazneen of Dhaka University’s Department of Political Science believes the country has no real need for so many political parties.

She told journaliststhat several motives may lie behind the surge. Those excluded over the past 16 years may be trying to enter politics again after the shift in circumstances, while others may be forming parties in pursuit of new influence or dominance.

She added that the public must remain vigilant about the ideals and intent behind these new parties: what they seek to implement and why they have been formed.