The aspirations that inspired the Liberation War in 1971 and the mass uprising of 1990 remain unfulfilled, and there is now a growing risk that the July 2024 mass uprising may also be derailed, said Badiul Alam Majumdar, Secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SUJON).
Speaking as the chief guest at a workshop titled “Aspirations of the Mass Uprising, Reforms and Elections” at the RDRS auditorium in Rangpur on Saturday, Majumdar said the core ideals of democracy, socialism and secularism—on which Bangladesh was founded in 1971—have never been fully implemented. He added that the framework agreed upon by the three political alliances during the 1990 uprising was also never realised.
Referring to proposed reforms, Majumdar said that a “yes” vote would mean support for reform, while a “no” vote would amount to supporting the old political structure that enabled Sheikh Hasina to become authoritarian. He stressed that Sheikh Hasina did not seize power through military force, but rather became autocratic by using the constitution and introducing fundamental changes to it.
He further noted that responsibility for reforms largely lies with political parties. Whether an authoritarian structure persists, he said, depends on the democratic values and political culture of those parties.
Majumdar said that if political parties demonstrate democratic attitudes ahead of elections, stop the use of black money, and if the media can report impartially, free and fair elections are possible. However, he cautioned that elections alone are not sufficient, describing them merely as the beginning of a democratic journey.
To ensure genuine democracy, he said, politics must be cleansed, the influence of money curbed, civil society and the media must act as watchdogs, and the Election Commission must be strengthened to guarantee a level playing field.
Dr Majumdar also emphasised that free and credible elections alone are not enough for democratic transition; structural reforms are essential. In this context, he said, a referendum is extremely important, and added that the government faces no obstacle in campaigning for a “yes” vote in a referendum based on expert opinions.
Earlier, leaders from SUJON’s eight district units in the Rangpur division participated in the workshop. Among those present were Jamaat-e-Islami’s Rangpur-3 candidate Mahbubar Rahman Belal, BSD candidate Abdul Quddus, SUJON Rangpur district president Professor Khairul Anam, metropolitan general secretary Zobaidul Islam Bullet, and others.
