The collective spirit must not be lost
Beginning with Abu Sayed, a great amount of sacrifice was made to reach this point. Our students and children were martyred, while many more were injured after being attacked by tear gas and rubber bullets. Many were arrested, some of whom were minors. Though this is a kind of victory, we are still mourning the lives lost. Even today, we lost people. We will always remember and respect the people in the protests of bloody July.
Occasions such as this has repeatedly arisen in Bangladesh's history, whether 1971 or 1990. In truth, we missed the opportunity each time. The expectations people had from different political parties in the past were dashed many times, and our politicians have only acted in their own interests without keeping in mind the best interests of the people.
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The most significant factor of this protest has been that this has not been carried out under the banner of a specific political party; its success lies in the participation of all people. Those who failed to understand history, and weaponised the spirit of the Liberation War to create an environment of corruption and suffering—we have been able to bid them farewell. If we consider the atrocities over the past 15 years, we want justice for all of these actions. Those who used anything and everything, from shotguns to assault rifles and sniper rifles, to take lives during the movement in July, must be brought to book, as per national and international laws. In addition, people's sufferings must be addressed, particularly the increase of the prices of essentials and the burden of taxes being placed on the people.
In the past, we have faced disappointment; we don't want to return to a state where politicians work for their own benefit. We want to build a better nation in the memory of the martyrs of 1971, the martyrs of July and August 2024. We want an inclusive governance system where all people are recognised as equal citizens of Bangladesh, regardless of their gender, religion or any other factor. We want to see this initiative from the state and we want it to be institutionalised. Let Bangladesh begin anew, and let this new Bangladesh reflect the dreams of all those who lost their lives.
Much work remains to be done, however. We must determine a list of all those who passed away, provide treatment to the injured, and ensure safer means of livelihood for families that are in great distress due to this situation. These matters must be resolved at the earliest.
To reiterate, the success we have attained now cannot be attributed to any party, it belongs to the students, particularly the six coordinators along with various others who organised this at great risks to their lives.
We know that military rule never bodes well for any nation. Hence, the creation of an inclusive government is vital. This national solidarity that has arisen must be utilised to create a healthy and peaceful Bangladesh—different from what we have seen in the last 53 years. We must remain united and integrated, and we cannot let the collective spirit and unity that has emerged from this movement dissipate in any manner. We cannot fall into the trap of a cult of personality again. We are all the same, we are all equal and we are all Bangladeshi people, regardless of how we identify or what class or segment of the population we belong to. The nation must be able to retain this collective identity.
Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan is professor at the Department of International Relations in Dhaka University.
Views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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