Bangladesh Defense
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 17,219
- Likes
- 8,260
- Nation
- Residence
- Axis Group
July uprising proclamation: BNP wants recognition of their sacrifice in 16 yrs
All political parties support the government initiative to prepare the ‘proclamation of July uprising’ on the basis of a national consensus. However, there are doubts regarding the success of this initiative
en.prothomalo.com
July uprising proclamation: BNP wants recognition of their sacrifice in 16 yrs
Selim Zahid
Dhaka
Published: 02 Jan 2025, 09: 21
All political parties support the government initiative to prepare the “proclamation of July uprising” on the basis of a national consensus. However, there are doubts regarding the success of this initiative.
But the political parties think the tension in the political arena surrounding declaration of the “proclamation of the July uprising” by the students who led the mass uprising, has been quelled. A massive political debate over this has been avoided for the time being by this initiative of the interim government.
Now the question arises as to how the proclamation would be prepared and what would be included in it.
Already the frontline leaders of the July have declared scrapping the constitution adopted in 1972 and making the Awami League irrelevant to the country’s politics.
At the same time, the reliable leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said they would demand recognition of the sacrifices they made during the last 16 years under the Awami League rule. The BNP leadership thinks the government initiative is a timely one.
Speaking to Prothom Alo regarding this, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the proclamation should include everything, including the movements over the last 16 years, killings and enforced disappearances, imprisonments and torture on the opposition and the contribution of the political parties.
The proclamation should be based on a consensus among the parties which were involved in the anti-fascist movement, he insisted.
The BNP, however, has a different opinion regarding the “proclamation of the July uprising”. They do not consider the movement in July as a “revolution”. They consider it an “uprising”. So there could be a “declaration”, not a “proclamation” of the mass uprising, BNP leaders believe.
A “proclamation” is supposed to cancel the constitution. Then the constitution is suspended by a military decree or proclamation. Under that proclamation, the chief martial law administrator or the president can amend, change, modify, add and delete any section or part of the section. The constitution is no longer in effect after that. So is the constitutional obligation.
The BNP believes there was a mass uprising of students and people in July and August. Following that, an interim government was formed on the basis of a national consensus. This government was sworn in as per the constitution. So there is no scope to declare a “proclamation of the revolution” some five months after the oath.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has taken a cautious stance in this regard. Speaking to Prothom Alo last Monday, central Jamaat leader and secretary of the party’s publicity wing Matiur Rahman Akanda told Prothom Alo that they appreciated the initiative taken by the students from a perspective of freedom of speech.
However, the backdrop of this has been changed with the internal and external political interventions over the announcement of “proclamation of July revolution”.
The interim government has declared to prepare a “proclamation” of the uprising on the basis of a national consensus. The students, meanwhile, held a programme titled “March for Unity” at the central Shaheed Minar on 31 December.
The Jamaat leaders did not want to make any comment regarding this.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Mia Golam Parwar said, “The government hasn’t officially declared about preparing the proclamation. The students haven’t cleared their stance either. I don’t think it’s prudent to make any comment in this situation.”
Communist party of Bangladesh (CPB) general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince wants to prioritise the ongoing crisis and election rather than the proclamation.
He said, “I don’t understand what to be achieved from an initiative that hasn’t been taken by the government in the last five months. I don’t see any realistic implementation of this either. Rather, the government should discuss reform issues with the political parties and give a roadmap of the election without any further delay.”
In an official press conference on 29 December last year, the Anti-discrimination Students Movement said they would declare the “proclamation of the July revolution” on 31 December 2024 in presence of political leaders and advisers of the government.
The initiative sparked sharp reactions from the political parties, some in favour and some against it. Later, in the last moment, chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam told at an emergency press briefing that the interim government had taken an initiative to prepare a proclamation of the July mass uprising on the basis of national consensus.
The proclamation will be announced to consolidate people’s unity, anti-fascist spirit and desire for state reform, which were driven by the uprising in last July and August that ousted the government of Bangladesh Awami League.
Later, the students discarded their previously announced programmes and declared the programme “march for unity” at the same venue on the same date.
Although delayed, AB (Amar Bangladesh) party member secretary Mujibur Rahman took this government initiative positively.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said the chief adviser held three meetings with the political parties so far. All of these were held as the government needed it. Apart from that, there has been no initiative from the government to unite the students, who led the July uprising and the political parties.
He further stated that the government did not take any initiative until the students took an extreme stance. From that point of view, it is a good initiative.
Islami Andolon Bangladesh senior joint secretary Gazi Ataur Rahman reiterated Mujibur Rahman saying, “The students had said the proclamation would be a part of the constitution. But a national consensus is needed for that. It would create controversy had the students declared the proclamation on their own.”
“Probably, the government realised the reality. It would be better if the government prepared this. We will be saved from the controversy,” he maintained.
Speaking regarding this, Jatiya Nagorik Committee member secretary Akhter Hossain told the newsperson that the proclamation would be the official evidence of the mass uprising.
According to him, it will explain everything as to how a quota reform movement turned into a mass uprising and why people sacrificed their lives.
But, regardless of the content of the proclamation it stirred several questions among the political parties. In particular, many have opposed the idea of suspending the constitution of 1972 and “bury” it forever.
A top CPB leader raised concerns over this. Referring to some recent statements from the student leaders, he said the common people and members of the political parties took part in the mass uprising along with the students. Now the students are trying to claim it to be their own. They are also questioning the liberation war which is raising many questions.
Despite the controversy surrounding the “proclamation of July uprising”, most parties think the mass uprising was an outcome of unprecedented unity among the people of the country. Therefore, there should be an official documentation of the uprising. And, the political parties should not take it lightly.
Some believe that the students will take the entire credit for the proclamation. The students may form a political party. From that assumption, many are considering them as opponents.
However, no political party should show any narrow minded attitude over the unprecedented uprising in 2024, said Islami Andolon leader Gazi Ataur Rahman.
An AB Party leader maintained, “For instance, who would be among the accused for setting fire at the BTV office. The political parties should reach an agreement on issues like this and a declaration should be made that no case will be filed over this. It was a part of the movement.”
Ganosamhati Andolan key coordinator Zonayed Saki thinks there should be a “proclamation of July uprising”.
He said, “That should be done following a proper democratic process on the basis of a national consensus.”
* This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu
Selim Zahid
Dhaka
Published: 02 Jan 2025, 09: 21
All political parties support the government initiative to prepare the “proclamation of July uprising” on the basis of a national consensus. However, there are doubts regarding the success of this initiative.
But the political parties think the tension in the political arena surrounding declaration of the “proclamation of the July uprising” by the students who led the mass uprising, has been quelled. A massive political debate over this has been avoided for the time being by this initiative of the interim government.
Now the question arises as to how the proclamation would be prepared and what would be included in it.
Already the frontline leaders of the July have declared scrapping the constitution adopted in 1972 and making the Awami League irrelevant to the country’s politics.
At the same time, the reliable leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said they would demand recognition of the sacrifices they made during the last 16 years under the Awami League rule. The BNP leadership thinks the government initiative is a timely one.
Speaking to Prothom Alo regarding this, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the proclamation should include everything, including the movements over the last 16 years, killings and enforced disappearances, imprisonments and torture on the opposition and the contribution of the political parties.
The proclamation should be based on a consensus among the parties which were involved in the anti-fascist movement, he insisted.
The BNP, however, has a different opinion regarding the “proclamation of the July uprising”. They do not consider the movement in July as a “revolution”. They consider it an “uprising”. So there could be a “declaration”, not a “proclamation” of the mass uprising, BNP leaders believe.
A “proclamation” is supposed to cancel the constitution. Then the constitution is suspended by a military decree or proclamation. Under that proclamation, the chief martial law administrator or the president can amend, change, modify, add and delete any section or part of the section. The constitution is no longer in effect after that. So is the constitutional obligation.
The BNP believes there was a mass uprising of students and people in July and August. Following that, an interim government was formed on the basis of a national consensus. This government was sworn in as per the constitution. So there is no scope to declare a “proclamation of the revolution” some five months after the oath.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has taken a cautious stance in this regard. Speaking to Prothom Alo last Monday, central Jamaat leader and secretary of the party’s publicity wing Matiur Rahman Akanda told Prothom Alo that they appreciated the initiative taken by the students from a perspective of freedom of speech.
However, the backdrop of this has been changed with the internal and external political interventions over the announcement of “proclamation of July revolution”.
The interim government has declared to prepare a “proclamation” of the uprising on the basis of a national consensus. The students, meanwhile, held a programme titled “March for Unity” at the central Shaheed Minar on 31 December.
The Jamaat leaders did not want to make any comment regarding this.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Mia Golam Parwar said, “The government hasn’t officially declared about preparing the proclamation. The students haven’t cleared their stance either. I don’t think it’s prudent to make any comment in this situation.”
Communist party of Bangladesh (CPB) general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince wants to prioritise the ongoing crisis and election rather than the proclamation.
He said, “I don’t understand what to be achieved from an initiative that hasn’t been taken by the government in the last five months. I don’t see any realistic implementation of this either. Rather, the government should discuss reform issues with the political parties and give a roadmap of the election without any further delay.”
In an official press conference on 29 December last year, the Anti-discrimination Students Movement said they would declare the “proclamation of the July revolution” on 31 December 2024 in presence of political leaders and advisers of the government.
The initiative sparked sharp reactions from the political parties, some in favour and some against it. Later, in the last moment, chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam told at an emergency press briefing that the interim government had taken an initiative to prepare a proclamation of the July mass uprising on the basis of national consensus.
The proclamation will be announced to consolidate people’s unity, anti-fascist spirit and desire for state reform, which were driven by the uprising in last July and August that ousted the government of Bangladesh Awami League.
Later, the students discarded their previously announced programmes and declared the programme “march for unity” at the same venue on the same date.
Although delayed, AB (Amar Bangladesh) party member secretary Mujibur Rahman took this government initiative positively.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said the chief adviser held three meetings with the political parties so far. All of these were held as the government needed it. Apart from that, there has been no initiative from the government to unite the students, who led the July uprising and the political parties.
He further stated that the government did not take any initiative until the students took an extreme stance. From that point of view, it is a good initiative.
Islami Andolon Bangladesh senior joint secretary Gazi Ataur Rahman reiterated Mujibur Rahman saying, “The students had said the proclamation would be a part of the constitution. But a national consensus is needed for that. It would create controversy had the students declared the proclamation on their own.”
“Probably, the government realised the reality. It would be better if the government prepared this. We will be saved from the controversy,” he maintained.
Speaking regarding this, Jatiya Nagorik Committee member secretary Akhter Hossain told the newsperson that the proclamation would be the official evidence of the mass uprising.
According to him, it will explain everything as to how a quota reform movement turned into a mass uprising and why people sacrificed their lives.
But, regardless of the content of the proclamation it stirred several questions among the political parties. In particular, many have opposed the idea of suspending the constitution of 1972 and “bury” it forever.
A top CPB leader raised concerns over this. Referring to some recent statements from the student leaders, he said the common people and members of the political parties took part in the mass uprising along with the students. Now the students are trying to claim it to be their own. They are also questioning the liberation war which is raising many questions.
Despite the controversy surrounding the “proclamation of July uprising”, most parties think the mass uprising was an outcome of unprecedented unity among the people of the country. Therefore, there should be an official documentation of the uprising. And, the political parties should not take it lightly.
Some believe that the students will take the entire credit for the proclamation. The students may form a political party. From that assumption, many are considering them as opponents.
However, no political party should show any narrow minded attitude over the unprecedented uprising in 2024, said Islami Andolon leader Gazi Ataur Rahman.
An AB Party leader maintained, “For instance, who would be among the accused for setting fire at the BTV office. The political parties should reach an agreement on issues like this and a declaration should be made that no case will be filed over this. It was a part of the movement.”
Ganosamhati Andolan key coordinator Zonayed Saki thinks there should be a “proclamation of July uprising”.
He said, “That should be done following a proper democratic process on the basis of a national consensus.”
* This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu
