A new student organization, Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, led by key figures of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (SAD), officially launched on Wednesday.

During a press conference at Madhur Canteen on the Dhaka University campus, prominent leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement announced the formation of the organization.

Abu Baker Majumdar, a key coordinator of SAD, has been appointed as the convener of the newly formed group. Jahid Ahsan will serve as the member secretary, while Tahmid Al Mudasir has been named chief organizer. Ashrefa Khatun has also been appointed as a spokesperson for the organization.

However, the announcement sparked protests from students of several private universities who gathered outside Madhur Canteen to express their dissatisfaction. The demonstrators claimed that the new organization overlooked their contributions and denied them proper representation.

According to the protesters, the DU syndicate approved the formation of the organization, but private university students were excluded, reinforcing a sense of discrimination.

The announcement of the new student body comes a day after Nahid Islam, an adviser to the interim government, stepped down from his position to establish a new political party ahead of the anticipated 2026 general election.

BDST: 1802 HRS, FEB 26, 2025
MSK