The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Eminent columnist and freedom fighter Maj Gen (Retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim yesterday launched a new party Bangladesh Kalyan (Welfare) Party.

Maj Gen (Retd) Ibrahim announced the formal journey of the new party at a press conference at Hotel Imperial at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city.

"We want politics for change, change for a better Bangladesh of development and prosperity", he said in a written statement describing the party's political aim.

The initiator of the new party said the 1/11 had provided us a great chance to practice good politics for the people and to practice such we have decided to float a new party.

The party is focusing on five basic ideologies nationalism, democracy, economic development, welfare state and humanism.

While addressing the audience Maj Gen (Retd) Ibrahim clarified his stance on some vital political issues confronting Bangladesh.

"We want to remove division among politicians of the country regarding issues of national leadership and nationalism" he said, "We want to practice politics of assistance and coordination."

The Liberation War veteran said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the founder of Bangladesh and president Ziaur Rahman read out the declaration of independence firstly on his own name and later on behalf of Bangabandhu on March 27 in 1971.

The chief of the newly floated party said, "Debates are there whether we are Bangladeshi or Bangali, we will say we are both,"

"We are born as Bangali but we have earned the identification as Bangladeshi by the nine-month Liberation war. So we cannot deny any of those identifications," he said.

About his party Maj Gen Ibrahim said the party would not contest the established parties of the country like Awami League, BNP or Jatiya Party. It would work as supplement of those parties in creating a new Bangladesh."

He said, "BWP is not floated from the high pedestal of power, it had come from the people and for the people, like Awami League, NAP and JSD."

"In the 90s we had practiced parliamentary democracy but we could not bring out the best for the country, nevertheless we have to go ahead," he said.

The former Army general said the main focus of the party would be towards the youngsters. Integration of the courage of the youngsters and experience of the veterans would move the country towards development.

About the absence of any high profile leaders in his party he said, " We do not want to give any surprise by bringing somebody in front of the media and that person gives another surprise."

The first national council of the party will approve the constitution of the party. It will have a 183-member central committee founder chairman of which will be Maj Gen (Retd) Ibrahim. It would also have student wing but they would not participate in politics.

Freedom fighters, foreign delegates, businessmen and people from different professions were present at the conference.