Jatiya Nagorik party, popular among the country’s vast youth, could shift electoral landscape but needs to show democratic, secular credentials

In the shadow of Bangladesh’s parliament building, crowds poured into the streets, many adorned in the red and green of the national flag. Just six months ago, these same roads had been a battleground littered with bullet casings and bodies, as students fought against armed police to bring down the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina.

This time, students who successfully overthrew the prime minster were here for a different purpose: to launch their Jatiya Nagorik or National Citizens’ party (NCP) in the presence of thousands of supporters.