Two years have passed since the July Revolution that shook our nation and forced a reckoning. It was a time of extraordinary courage, led mostly by the students of our nation, by young women and men and even younger girls and boys who refused to accept corruption, repression, and inequality as the price of survival.
While the uprising eventually led to the collapse of the Awami League and compelled Sheikh Hasina to flee the nation, the goal was never about changing a government but rather about demanding a new social contract.
When citizens unite, even the most entrenched systems can be challenged. It was the absence of accountability, the weakness of rule of law, and the capture of public services by vested interests that were being questioned and opposed.
Looking back, with the BNP now leading the nation with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the question remains: Have the promises of the July Revolution been fulfilled?
Progress has been uneven, to say the least. Corruption remains endemic in public service delivery. Economic reforms have been announced, but the middle and lower classes still bear disproportionate burdens. The press continues to feel stifled, with journalists still being charged for doing their jobs.
The BNP government must ensure that the mistakes made by previous regimes are not repeated. For Bangladesh to truly move and become the best version of itself, there is no alternative to institutional reforms, inclusive governance, and economic justice. This nation must become one that believes in these foundational principles, and actively works to ensure they are our reality.
The July Revolution was indeed a watershed moment for our nation, but it must lead somewhere. Two years later, all of us must recommit to the unfinished work of building a Bangladesh that serves everybody within its borders.