Mahfuj, Tajnuva to lead new political platform 'Alternatives'

The newly launched political platform Alternatives has formed a “national organising committee” to ensure positive youth participation in politics.

The committee is headed by former interim government adviser Mahfuj Alam and former NCP leader Tajnuva Jabeen, bdnews24.com reports.

In a statement issued on Friday, the platform said the committee was created to “guarantee youth participation in politics, revive the lost dreams of the July Uprising, and rebuild a responsible and compassionate Bangladesh”.

The committee members will act as organisers, with key responsibilities including connecting with politically conscious youth across the country, engaging families of July martyrs, injured fighters, and quietly active activists, and developing new leadership while spreading a participatory political culture nationwide, it added.

According to Alternatives, active youth participation and the evolution of new political thought are vital given the current political landscape.

This committee is set to manage organisational activities across the country in the coming days, it said.

“Members will progressively establish networks and dialogues across districts, uniting students, workers, farmers, and the public into a structured nationwide framework,” the statement read.

The political re-entry of Mahfuj comes after he resigned from the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government on Dec 10 last year, a day before the election schedule was announced.

While speculation circulated about his participation in the parliamentary elections, he ultimately did not contest in the vote.

Mahfuj, who represented the student leaders of the Uprising in the interim cabinet, has now returned to the political arena through Alternatives a month after the polls.

Tajnuva, meanwhile, resigned from her post on Dec 28 amid reports of a strategic alliance between the NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

“I thought I would resign after the formal announcement of the alliance. That was my last hope. But yesterday, everyone confirmed that this alliance is sealed," she said at the time.

“I repeat, my resignation is less about the alliance itself and more about the process. Distrust and lack of confidence were the main reasons,” she added.