The first international conference on Bangladesh's July uprising concluded its inaugural session at Dhaka University on Sunday, marking the first anniversary of the transformative uprising, with an emphasis on the need for sustained reforms.
Titled “The Legacy of July Revolution 2024: Rebuilding Bangladesh,” the conference aimed to raise awareness about the revolution's ideas, present academic research, critical analyses, and shape a roadmap for a new phase of national development dubbed “Bangladesh 2.0.”
The event, held at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building of the University of Dhaka, brought together scholars, policymakers, and civil society representatives from home and abroad.
Organized jointly by Research and Integrated Thought (RIT), a Dhaka-based think tank, and the Department of Political Science at Dhaka University, with numerous co-organizers, the conference featured prominent figures who emphasized the profound impact and ongoing challenges of the revolution.
Speakers highlighted the need to preserve the uprising's spirit, ensure justice, implement systemic reforms, and counteract forces that seek to undermine democratic progress.
The conference, which received almost 400 research papers from various countries, selected 60 for oral presentation and another 60 for poster sessions, showcasing diverse insights from academics, activists, and policymakers.
The discussions underscored the July uprising as a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, representing not just a protest but a national awakening.
The event concluded with a theatrical performance titled "Laal July" at the TSC auditorium, symbolizing the cultural and historical significance of the revolution and its aspirations for a just and free Bangladesh.
Genesis and quest for justice
The conference speakers reflected on the origins and immediate aftermath of the July uprising, emphasizing the deep scars left by the previous "fascist Awami regime".
Adilur Rahman Khan, adviser for the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, said that the fall of the regime, while significant, does not guarantee justice, underscoring the early and fragile stage of Bangladesh's transition.
He asserted that the regime "turned the state into a weapon against its own people," using forces like the RAB, police, and intelligence agencies as "tools of terror".
He added: “Enforced disappearances and killings became daily occurrences, and dissenters, including poets, teachers, journalists, and student leaders, were imprisoned. The Digital Security Act was specifically used to suppress free thought.”
Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, pro-vice chancellor (academic) of Dhaka University, echoed these sentiments, highlighting that the July revolution emerged from years of state repression, corruption, and violence.
He described the regime as one that rigged elections and ruthlessly crushed dissent with tear gas, bullets, jail, and torture, yet brave students and activists refused to be silenced.
Both Adilur Rahman Khan and Dr Mamun Ahmed affirmed that the widespread brutality deeply scarred the collective conscience of the nation.
Adilur Rahman Khan also described the conference as a process of bearing witness, aiming to recover the truth from distorted history and ensure that the tears of families of the disappeared and bullet marks on university walls would serve as evidence in the pursuit of justice.
Sharif Banna, chairman of Jagoron Foundation (UK), characterized the July uprising not merely as a political uprising but as a fundamental change in the moral and institutional structures of the republic, which had been reduced to ruins by 15 years of "autocratic" Awami League rule.
He emphasized that the revolution builds upon Bangladesh's Liberation War of 1971 and the mass uprising of 1990.
Dr Md Saidul Islam, associate professor at Nanyang Technological University, further corroborated that under the previous administration, democracy in Bangladesh was nominal, functioning as an authoritarian system marked by media censorship, judicial politicization, and suppression of opposition.
Sustaining the uprising: Reforms and collective narratives
A major theme of the conference revolved around the crucial need for ongoing reforms and the importance of preserving the revolutionary spirit for long-term change.
Prof Lutfey Siddiqi, special envoy to the chief adviser on international affairs, warned: "You cannot have a revolution and then pretend everything can go back to normal. He emphasized that real change must occur on two levels.
He proposed "wholesale" reforms, including commissions for elections, parliamentary affairs, the judiciary, administration, and police, to prevent institutions from being used for future autocracy.
Simultaneously, he called for retail reforms that improve daily services like visa processing, customs, business registration, and land deeds, directly impacting citizens' lives.
Siddiqi stressed the interim government's role in creating an addiction to reforms that no future government can reverse, saying: “Democratic pressure for reform must come from all of us.”
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, adviser for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, highlighted the critical need to preserve the July uprising, saying: “It is crucial for our very existence.”
He called for the construction of a collective narrative about the struggle, warning that without it, these stories will eventually be lost.
Abu Sadik Kayem, former president of Dhaka University Chhatra Shibir, echoed this, saying that July is a resource that must be maintained across cultural, intellectual, and academic spheres, made relevant through narrative building.
Nurul Izzah Anwar, deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and daughter of the Malaysian prime minister, offered several suggestions for state progress, drawing on Malaysia’s experience.
She recommended strengthening microcredit programs, similar to Malaysia’s “Amanah Ikhtiar” and Bangladesh's Grameen Bank, and supporting local entrepreneurs alongside foreign direct investment (FDI).
She also advised investing natural resource revenues (oil, gas) for public welfare, fostering collaboration with opposition parties, and building just and sustainable systems for future generations (Generation Z and Alpha).
Nurul Izzah Anwar emphasized that justice should be the compass, courage the currency, and freedom the eternal flame.
Prof Dr Yasin Aktay, former deputy chairman of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party, cautioned that counter-revolutions often use democratic tools to attack democracy itself.
He noted that Western powers often resist the rise of successful Muslim democracies, claiming: "They revolted against democracy by the instruments of democracy."
He also pointed out the unique convergence between nation and state in Turkey, where people defended their government, a contrast to many postcolonial Muslim societies.
International affirmation and geopolitical context
The conference also provided an international platform for discussion, with various speakers offering their perspectives on the July revolution's global significance.
Jon F Danilowicz, a retired diplomat with the US Department of State, strongly asserted that the July revolution was completely the result of the struggle of the people of Bangladesh and not a foreign conspiracy or the work of a deep state.
He challenged anyone to provide evidence of US involvement, saying he had seen none.
Danilowicz acknowledged that the interim government faces an environment of instability and information warfare and advised caution.
He also highlighted that the US administration provided various forms of assistance to the interim government and urged future Bangladeshi leaders to learn from the previous fascist government's mistakes and uphold the revolution's spirit.
Dr Mahmudur Rahman, editor of Amar Desh newspaper, presented a critical analysis of India's historical role, saying that its involvement in Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War was a geopolitical calculation rather than benevolence.
He contended that India expected a subservient Bangladesh, overlooking the fact that the country's 90% Muslim population would never surrender to Hindu-majority India, leading to a re-emergence of Islamic identity post-1971.
Mahmudur Rahman alleged that after 2009, India capitalized on opportunities to establish a loyal government in Bangladesh and control security threats, supporting an authoritarian government despite being a democracy itself, a fact evidenced by its support in the 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections.
He concluded, saying that the July uprising of 2024 is a unique blend of secular, Islamic, and nationalist ideals, which is rare in world history, serving as a lesson for the entire Muslim world.
Nurul Izzah Anwar highlighted the global inspiration drawn from Bangladesh's experience, saying: “The Bangladesh July uprising is now showing the way to Malaysia, Nigeria, and the whole world".
She termed the July revolution as "South Asia shaking" and emphasized that it taught the world that stability without justice remains fragile.
She praised Dhaka University as a campus repeatedly soaked in the blood, sweat, and ideals of freedom, now transformed into a symbol of conscience and hope.
Prof Dr Yasin Aktay further discussed the challenges of establishing democracy in post-colonial Muslim countries and stressed the importance of maintaining a revolutionary spirit, drawing parallels between Bangladesh's July uprising and the Arab Spring as symbols of liberation from colonial and imperialist powers.
