There have been rumors that the youth who led the movement would form a new party since the political upheaval of ‘24. Finally, last Friday, a new party of youths debuted under the name of Jatiya Nagorik Party (JNP). However, on the day of its debut, there was a strong reaction in the political circles over the announcement of the establishment of the 'Second Republic' by the party's top leaders.

A report published in the newspaper on Sunday revealed the ambivalence about the 'Second Republic'. Although the new party welcomed the JNP, leaders of various political parties, including the BNP, raised questions about their political philosophy and ideology.

They said that it is certainly a matter of joy for a new party to join the practice of many views and paths in politics. But questions have been raised on various other issues, including the 'Second Republic' raised by the new party and the Constituent Assembly elections. The lack of experience and wisdom in their activities is also clear. Many are also seeing the possibility of the party stumbling after facing various challenges since its debut.

At a meeting in the capital on Saturday, BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said, "I want to tell new friends, has our current republic become sick?" The BNP leader also fears that there may be a conspiracy to take the state system into a more prolonged and undemocratic process behind bringing up the issue of the Constituent Assembly elections and the Second Republic.

BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, who was present as the party's representative at the debut ceremony of the new party, said at a ceremony on Saturday, "Everyone spoke well at the JNP's debut ceremony. But we did not get any political philosophy about the state."

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of the Nagorik Oikya, told the media, highlighting his observations on the debut of the new party, that it is difficult to build something new. The kind of experience and patience needed to do this; this deficiency has been noticed among those who have done it.

The July Uprising Declaration that the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the Jatiyo Nagorik Committee wanted to publish is essentially what many believe to be the goal of the Jatiyo Nagorik Party (JNP). At the JNP's launch event on Friday, the party's convener, Md. Nahid Islam, said, "Our goal is to establish a 'Second Republic' in the country."

The draft declaration of the July Uprising also said, "We declare that to change the political settlement of 1972 and 1/11, we need a new democracy (Republic), which will end all forms of oppression, exploitation and discrimination in the state and will be able to contain the expectations of the youth of this country. We express the intention that this declaration will be given appropriate state and constitutional recognition."

As a result, many people are asking, how will the JNP achieve its goal of establishing a 'Second Republic'? Apart from this, the issue of the 'Second Republic' is still not clear in the public domain. Other political parties are seeking answers to various questions on this issue.

BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed further said on Saturday, 'When will the Second Republic be? A republic is where elected representatives will run the state; they will have a nominal or elected head of the state. Don't we have that? Why will there be a Constituent Assembly? There is another purpose in it.'

This member of the BNP standing committee said, 'When there is no constitution written in the country, meaning to establish a new state, then a Constituent Assembly is needed. The members of the Constituent Assembly formulate the constitution, on the basis of which the parliamentary elections are later held. He said, 'Have we got a new independent state here for the Constituent Assembly elections? The state is independent. We are an independent, sovereign democratic state. The Jatiyo Nagorik Party (JNP) has said that it is setting a three-phase (short, medium and long-term) program to establish the ‘Second Republic’. The party leaders said that the JNP’s target is to establish the ‘Second Republic’. This will link the commitment of 1971 to 2024. The ‘First Republic’ of 1972 was said to implement the aspirations of the Liberation War, but it failed, on the contrary, the ‘Second Republic’ of 2024 will be about establishing an independent and democratic Bangladesh. It will include the true spirit of 1971 and the spirit of 2024. In that case, there is a context of building a new Bangladesh by formulating a democratic constitution through elections to the Constituent Assembly. The party leaders have also clarified what the party means by short, medium and long-term programs. They said that the short part will be election-oriented, the middle part will be implementation-oriented if the party joins the government or the opposition after the elections, and the long part will be about the party's future programs. These programs will reflect the manifesto.

Sources say that in addition to organizing the party, the work of formulating political and social strategies will continue continuously. Especially, a strong initiative will be taken to issue the manifesto in July. The JNP will move forward step by step with important proposals for repealing the 1972 constitution and making a new constitution through a referendum and reforming the state.

Saiful Haque, leader of the Ganatantra Manch and General Secretary of the Biplobi Workers Party, told the media, "From what I have seen, what will be the place of their (JNP) ideology, has not been clarified yet. There is a risk of stumbling in the environment in which the party is being formed. Because their people are still in the government and the state patronage is behind them. If they cannot gain the trust of the people by moving away from there, the question remains, how much they will be able to do."

The Communist Party of Bangladesh said the main issue is what they want to do. They are talking about a second republic, which is incomprehensible. But so far, I don't see any vision of doing anything in the interest of the country and its people," said Ruhin Hossain Prince, general secretary of the CPB. 

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said that if local elections are held before the national elections, acolytes of dictatorship in the country will be rehabilitated.

He made these comments while addressing the party's extended meeting at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the capital on Thursday (February 27) while virtually joining from London.

Tarique Rahman said that the people who love democracy believe that if local elections are held, it will be a process of rehabilitating absconding acolytes of dictatorship across the country, which is directly against the aspirations of the people's uprising. BNP will not let the corrupt mafia gangs that are involved in mass murder and money laundering fall into this trap of rehabilitating them.

Stating that BNP will try those involved in the genocide if it comes to power, he said that BNP is committed to the people that if BNP gets the responsibility of running the state through popular vote in the next national elections, it will face the trial of the genocide and anti-humanity criminals.

Calling on the interim government, he said, "Retreat from the plan to hold 'local elections' to rehabilitate the mafia gangs that are accomplices of mass murderers across the country. Immediately announce the interim government's specific 'roadmap of action plan' for the future.

Bold freedom fighter, BNP Vice Chairman and former minister Abdullah Al Noman is no more. When he was taken to the capital's Square Hospital at 6 am on Tuesday (February 25), doctors declared him dead.

BNP's media wing member Shairul Kabir Khan confirmed the matter.

He said that he was supposed to be present as the main speaker at the Chattogram North District BNP rally today. He fell ill suddenly at night and was taken to the hospital where doctors declared him dead.

He was first elected as a member of parliament from Chattogram Kotwali in 1991. After winning that election, he was given the responsibility of the Fisheries Ministry. After winning the 2001 election, he served as the Minister of Food Ministry.

BNP Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu said, a terrible situation has developed in the country in the past few days in terms of law and order. The situation in the country is very delicate. We have defeated fascism through the anti-discrimination student-public movement. There was a possibility of returning to democracy. But in six to seven months, the impossible pressure of the market syndicate, unemployed students not getting work and the law and order situation have deteriorated.

On Monday (February 24) afternoon, BNP Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu spoke as the chief guest at a discussion on the political education of the July Uprising at the Darshana Bashirannesa School and College ground in Rangpur city and a public reception for Dr. Abdullah Al Mamun, Provost of Salimullah Muslim Hall of Dhaka University, one of the pioneers of the anti-discrimination student movement.

The top BNP leader said, considering the situation in the country, we have not yet demanded the resignation of the government. If the situation in the country does not improve, people will not accept this situation easily. BNP workers have been martyred for 17 years in the belief of building a developed Bangladesh. They have been jailed, harassed, and subjected to cruelty. He expects the government to take steps to make this land habitable as soon as possible.

Regarding the situation in the country, he further said, "Now, people are being hacked and killed at home. Girls are being humiliated, harassed, and raped on buses. When girls from Dhaka and other universities protest and demand a solution, the Home Affairs Adviser appears at a press conference at midnight. This makes us understand how dire the situation in the country is."

Demanding for improvement in the law and order situation, he said, "Today, we are seeing miscreants attacking the Air Force base. There is no greater regret in the country than this. We want a people's government to be established in the country with rapid improvement in the law and order situation."