The July uprising has made the 1971 Liberation War universal by freeing it from the partisan narrative of the "Awami fascist forces" that tarnished and monopolised the country's independence struggle, said leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement yesterday.

The spirit of 1971 now belongs to everyone -- it is not the property of any single party, they added.

They made the remarks during a brief rally held at the Central Shaheed Minar following their "Victory Procession" marking Victory Day.

They brought out the procession around 12:00pm from the Central Shaheed Minar, which marched through Shahbagh and the Supreme Court area before ending at the Shaheed Minar at 1:45pm.

Speaking at the rally, Arif Sohel, member secretary of the platform, said, "The Awami fascist group had monopolised the Liberation War. When the people of this country united and led the fight against Pakistani genocide, some fled to India and later claimed credit for leading the war. Ultimately, BAKSAL was established in this country, burying democracy."

Although an independent Bangladesh was achieved in 1971 through the sacrifice of millions of lives, full independence and sovereignty have not yet been realised, he also said.

Alleging that between 1972 and 1975, many freedom fighters sacrificed their lives, he said, "The mass uprising of 2024 is the continuation of that legacy. We will complete this struggle."

Rashidul Islam Rifat, an executive committee member of the platform, said, "This year's Victory Day is different from any other. During the Awami fascist regime, Victory Day brought nothing but sorrow as we lamented our failure to achieve true victory. The fascists had tarnished the Liberation War by confining it within their fascist narrative."

He also criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Victory Day post on the social media platform X, chanting, "Shame, shame."

Earlier in the morning, the platform paid tribute with floral wreaths at the National Memorial in remembrance of the martyrs of the Great Liberation War and the 2024 mass uprising.

In the evening, it held a prayer session at their central office in Banglamotor, seeking blessings for the souls of the martyrs of the Liberation War and 2024 mass uprising, as well as the recovery of the injured.