Build reposeful Bangladesh in light of July Declaration

Chief Adviser of the interim government Dr. Muhammad Yunus read out the much-awaited July Declaration in the presence of thousands of people and the leaders of the country's major political parties yesterday (August 5) on the occasion of the first anniversary of the July-2024 mass uprising.

We believe that this declaration will be a new milestone on the path to preserving the history of the July Uprising and building a fear-free and discrimination-free Bangladesh.

We have seen that a culture of fear was created during the 16-year rule of the fallen Awami League government. People used to feel fear and anxiety when speaking out. People turned away in July 2024 from that fear of torture at the hands of law enforcement agencies; but the reality is that even after the July Uprising, that culture of fear has not gone away. Rather, the new fear of mob treason has turned the entire country into a land of terror. In fact, taking advantage of the situation, some self-interested people and groups have indulged in grabbing other people's property, looting, and killing in the name of mob terrorism.

Several such incidents across the country in the past year have also questioned the image of the current interim government home and abroad. However, everyone expected that a Bangladesh free from the culture of fear would be established through the July uprising.

We are optimistic that the current government will move forward on the path to eliminating the culture of fear in light of the determination expressed by the Chief Adviser in the July Declaration to build a truly democratic state system and the utmost tolerance.

In a brief statement, the Chief Adviser mentioned that the Bangladesh state was established through a bloody liberation war for national liberation by declaring independence on March 26, 1971, after 23 years of resistance against the deprivation and exploitation of Pakistani dictators and building mass resistance against indiscriminate genocide. Later, the 1972 constitution-making process, its structural weaknesses and misuse led to the post-independence Awami League government failing to fulfill the people's aspirations of the liberation war and undermined the effectiveness of democracy and state institutions.

In view of that, the Bangladesh state had gone through many ups and downs of military rule and initiated a multi-party democratic environment, but that too was destroyed in the 16-year long fascist rule of the previous Awami League period.

The Awami League government's misrule, disappearances, extrajudicial killings, suppression of freedom of expression, and amendments and changes to the constitution for the interests of one party destroyed all state and constitutional institutions of Bangladesh; In the wake of which, an unprecedented mass uprising took place in July 2024, which succeeded in the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, 2024.

Referring to this, the Chief Adviser said that the strong anti-fascist desire of the people of Bangladesh at all levels and the intention to build a society and state free of fascism, discrimination and corruption were expressed through the uprising of the student masses. He also said that the people of Bangladesh are expressing their intention to carry out democratic reforms of the existing constitution and all state and constitutional institutions in a systematic manner in order to ensure good governance and fair elections, prevent the recurrence of fascist rule, rule of law and economic and social justice.

While talking about the past in the July declaration, the Chief Adviser gave special importance to the misrule of the Awami League government, disappearances and murders, extrajudicial killings, suppression of freedom of expression and amendment and change of the constitution for the interests of one party. We know that the prerequisite for building a society free from misrule, corruption and tolerant of all opinions is to ensure freedom of expression. And even if freedom of expression is ensured, an environment free from fear and insecurity will be created.

We also want to hope that the nightmare of misrule and misrule will not return to Bangladesh in the future. A democratic Bangladesh free from fear and insecurity and tolerant of all opinions will be built in the light of the July Declaration.