Political leaders say that the July uprising has paved the way for a discrimination-free society and democratic governance in line with the aspirations of the liberation war which have remained unfulfilled even 54 years after independence.
The nation is set to celebrate the 54th anniversary of its independence today to mark the 1971 historic struggle against Pakistan that was driven by the aspiration to establish a democratic state free from discrimination, ensuring equality, human dignity, and social justice for all.
Political leaders said that despite numerous movements and struggles across the country after the independence to realise the aspirations of the liberation war, successive governments consistently undermined these efforts.
They also believe that the July uprising has brought an opportunity to realise the aspiration of the liberation war.
Freedom fighter and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD president ASM Abdur Rob said that a scope was created for establishing a discrimination-free society after the student-led mass uprising.
鈥榃e must work to establish a society free from all forms of discrimination and repression,鈥� he said.
鈥榃e must help the interim government for the democratic transition of the country and holding a free, fair and credible general election,鈥� Rob said.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said that it was unfortunate that the aspirations of the independence and the liberation war remained unrealised even after 54 years of the country鈥檚 independence.
He attributed this failure to the post-independence political landscape, specifically highlighting the Awami League鈥檚 establishment of a one-party Baksal regime.
After the fall of the Ershad regime amid a mass uprising in 1990, the BNP came to state power and established a caretaker government system to ensure parliamentary democracy and protect the people鈥檚 right to vote.
鈥楲ater, when the Awami League assumed power, it forcibly abolished the caretaker government system to lengthen its tenure and effectively suppressed the people鈥檚 right to vote. This led to the current state of Bangladesh,鈥� the BNP leader said.
He claimed that the Awami League had destroyed the very essence of the Liberation War by undermining democracy in pursuit of its own power.
鈥楴ow, following the student-led mass uprising in 2024, dictatorship has been removed, and political parties are striving to realise the true aspirations of the liberation war,鈥� Mosharraf said.
What politicians need to do now is to unite in their efforts to restore the spirit of the liberation war and rebuild the democratic ideals that were once envisioned, he said.
Communist Party of Bangladesh former president and freedom fighter Mujahidul Islam Selim said that the dream of forming a discrimination-free society was not established in the seven months of the interim government.
The government had rather created some unwanted controversy on different issues including the issue of the liberation war, Selim said.
He stressed the need for holding the next general election as early as possible in a free, fair and credible manner.
Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said that they wanted a democratic Bangladesh free from repression on the basis of new political settlements.
Such a scope has been created after the fall of the fascist Sheikh Hasina regime, he said.
National Citizen Party joint convener Sarwar Tushar said that the successive ruling establishments, including political parties, had failed to create necessary political arrangements for people to benefit from the independence as their focus on vested interests left state formation incomplete.
鈥楢s a result, the political, economic and cultural interests of the people were not protected,鈥� he said.
Tushar also said that the failure to formulate a democratic constitution to establish a democratic state was one of the greatest shortcomings of the successive ruling establishments after the liberation war.
According to Tushar, the student-led mass uprising in 2024 came with the promise of addressing that failure, and this year鈥檚 Independence Day is being celebrated in light of this new reality.
The July uprising has emerged with the aim of rebuilding a democratic Bangladesh that would ensure democracy, economic justice and human dignity, he added.
Jatiya Party secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu believed that the aspirations of the independence and the liberation war had not been realised fully.
鈥業n 1971, we fought for the political and economic liberation of the people of Bangladesh. The inequality in income and wealth in the country, however, remained glaring,鈥� Chunnu said.
He said that the people of Bangladesh were unable to fully enjoy their basic rights, including freedom of expression, due to the challenging socio-economic conditions.
He said that there was no doubt that the student movement in 2024 was aimed at fighting against discrimination and securing freedom of speech, but progress toward achieving these goals appeared limited.
Chunnu said that the government needed to work impartially by ensuring fairness for all political parties and citizens to fulfil the aspirations of the liberation war.