Warnings for Bangladesh’s new student party from India’s AAP, AGP on running the long race

The recent emergence of the National Citizens Party in Bangladesh has sparked discussions on whether a student-led movement can transform itself into a major political force.

While the party has capitalised on the momentum of mass protests that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August, its long-term viability remains in question. The experience of similar movements in India suggests that such parties often struggle to sustain their initial success and establish themselves as major political players.

To understand the challenges faced by the National Citizens Party, it is useful to look at similar political movements in India, such as the Janata Party, Asom Gana Parishad and Aam Aadmi Party. These parties were formed after major public uprisings and were initially successful, but they struggled to remain relevant in the long run.

The main reasons for their decline were the lack of a strong ideology, the absence of dedicated grassroots supporters and the difficulty of maintaining public enthusiasm once the immediate crisis had passed.

Internal conflicts

The Janata Party emerged in 1977 as a coalition of opposition forces united against Indira Gandhi’s Emergency rule. It won a historic victory and formed the first non-Congress government in India. However, its success was short-lived. The party was made up of...

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