Bangladeshi students who played a key role in last year's protests that led to Sheikh Hasina's removal as prime minister have now formed a political party to contest elections expected by the end of the year.

The newly launched Jatiya Nagorik Party (National Citizens’ Party) marks a significant shift in the country’s volatile political landscape. Bangladesh, which gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, now sees student-led activism transforming into formal politics.

The Students Against Discrimination (SAD) group initially protested against public sector job quotas, but their movement soon escalated into a nationwide uprising, ultimately forcing Hasina to escape to India in early August.

Following Hasina’s departure, a student group has been working to establish a new political party, aiming to enter mainstream politics and contest elections.

Nahid Islam, a former student leader who later served as an adviser in the interim government after Hasina’s exit, resigned on Wednesday to take charge of the new party as its convener.

On Friday, thousands of supporters from across Bangladesh gathered in front of parliament in Dhaka for the party’s launch. Many waved the national flag and wore bandanas and headbands in red and green, the flag's colours.

Addressing the crowd, which included leaders from other political parties, Islam stated that the new party would offer Bangladeshis an alternative political choice. With a Bangladesh flag tied around his forehead, Islam declared, “We will keep Bangladesh and the interest of its citizens in mind and join hands to build a new nation.” Reading from the new party’s declaration, he stated, “We are committed to adopting a new, democratic constitution.” He further said, “A key goal is to draft this constitution through an elected constituent assembly.”

Islam played a key role in representing student interests in the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation with a population of 170 million, has been facing political turmoil since Hasina fled following weeks of protests that resulted in over 1,000 deaths.

Opposition parties are demanding early elections and the restoration of a democratically elected government. An economist, Yunus, stated that elections could occur by the end of 2025 but has ruled out running for office himself.

Political experts suggest that a youth-led party could significantly change the country’s political landscape, which has long been dominated by Hasina’s Awami League and her rival Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party.