Prominent voices say political crisis must be solved by political leadership

Prominent individuals from all walks of society shared the many ways they suffered and were discriminated against under the previous regime. Speakers also focused on the sort of changes and reforms they would like to see in Bangladesh’s future, expressing general concern about the apparent inaction displayed by the government regarding recent societal unrest. A need for more transparency from the interim government and a more inclusive approach came up in the discussion.

The dialogue featured the following participants:

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the ministries of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Water Resources, Munira Khan, President, FEMA, Kazi Faisal Bin Seraj, Country Representative, The Asia Foundation, Bangladesh, Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Lead, Election System Reform Commission Secretary of SHUJAN, Barrister Andaleeve Rahman, Chairman, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, Member, DSA Victims Network, Zonayed Saki, Chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan, Nurul Haque Nur, President, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Md Muktadir Rashid, Senior Journalist, Pritom Das, Member, Jatiya Nagorik Committee, Rezaul Karim Rony, Editor, Joban, Major Rezaul Karim (Retd), Former Military Officer, Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, Teacher, Political Analyst, Masood Kamal, Senior Journalist,Michael Chakma, Organizer, United People’s Democratic Front, M U Mimi Marma Mimi, Special Correspondent, IPNEWS BD, Kalpana Akter, Executive Director, Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity, Qadaruddin Shishir, Fact Check Editor, AFP, Bangladesh, Khadijatul Kubra, Student, Jagannath University, Umama Fatema, Coordinator, Students Against Discrimination, Mamun Abdullahi, Member, National Liaison Committee, Students Against Discrimination.

Zillur Rahman, Executive Director of CGS, moderated the discussion. He began by stating that for 15 years, people had fought for their dreams, often doubting they could be realised. Many had sacrificed their lives for these dreams. Over the past 15 years, all national institutions had been destroyed, and corruption had become endemic. Many had resisted the tyranny of authoritarianism from within the country, suffering as a result. Among those gathered today were individuals who had fought and suffered. Yet, the fight was far from over.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan expressed her gratitude for the many faces that had joined during the protest. She acknowledged that others had suffered more than she had. For her, justice was having her family returned to her, as asking for more at that time seemed impossible. Public support had taught her that doing the right thing eventually bears fruit. A fascist regime, she explained, doesn’t become fascist in isolation; it corrupts the justice system, media, civil society, and other institutions. Even if the laws are changed, those who implement them often still support the regime. Her personal dreams included independence—personal, occupational, and national. She emphasised that freedom, especially the freedom to access timely justice, should not be taken for granted. Now that people could finally speak, she urged them to be constructive, define their focus, and listen to each other. The path to reform, she said, was the path to realising their dreams.

Munira Khan stated that the government needed to be more transparent and spend time on proper planning. Their spokespersons should communicate their activities and progress. She expressed hope that the interim government would hold a free and fair election.

Kazi Faisal Bin Seraj observed that shrinking civic space creates an information vacuum, making non-traditional media more important. He noted that when he first began working in Bangladesh, the narrative of the economy was strong, but there were now questions about why NGOs and CSOs were not doing enough. He emphasised that it was critical to understand the restrictive legal environment they faced.

Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Lead of the Election System Reform Commission and Secretary of SHUJAN, emphasised that citizens must seize the opportunity before them. He highlighted the importance of everyone playing their part, or else the dream, spirit, and expectations would remain incomplete. He shared that he and his family had been discriminated against under both the Awami League and BNP governments. Despite this, he believed that today presented an amazing opportunity and stressed the importance of unity, checks, and balances to prevent the misuse of power.

Barrister Andaleeve Rahman, Chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), stressed the need for good people in politics. He warned that if corrupt individuals entered politics, they would ruin any system. He called for reforms that would allow good people to enter politics, noting that politicians were no longer seen as heroes. While he was optimistic about the media, he believed the current government’s connection with the people was weak, and they needed to implement the reforms the public demanded.

Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, Member of the DSA Victims Network, recounted how he had been picked up after posting on social media about irregularities in relief measures during the COVID-19 lockdown. He was interrogated for seven hours, accused of being a traitor and conspirator without evidence. He questioned why DSA cases had not yet been dropped, arguing that these “black laws” used to suppress people should be consigned to a museum.

Zonayed Saki, Chief Coordinator of Ganosanghati Andolan, discussed how the quota movement evolved into a single-point demand due to over a decade of struggle. He emphasised that the political forces involved in the uprising needed to be considered in the current process. Fascist forces were still active. He shared that during a July 19 rally protesting the deaths of students, police force was used against them in unprecedented ways. He himself was injured in a baton charge, later beaten on the street by members of the Chhatra League after being taken from the hospital.

Nurul Haque Nur, President of Gono Odhikar Parishad, shared that he had been blacklisted from television for a long time, alongside others like Asif Nazrul and Nurul Kabir. Agencies had warned him that they would be monitoring his movements and had even threatened attacks if he went anywhere without their consent, which eventually materialised. He spoke of the oppression and suppression witnessed under multiple governments and expressed hope for genuine reform under the current interim government. However, he criticised the government for operating in an exclusive manner, failing to consult with political parties, the main stakeholders in running the nation.

Md. Muktadir Rashid, Senior Journalist, pointed out that fascists maintain power by creating divisions, using labels like fundamentalist or agent of foreign powers to silence dissent. He criticised the use of the Digital Security Act to suppress media, which, in turn, engaged in self-censorship. He believed the character of the media needed to change, as they had become intellectual slaves, unable to critique the state.

Pritom Das, Member of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, shared his experience of being falsely charged with offending religious sentiments. He was later arrested due to his political activism and social media posts, spending five months in jail. He recounted how communal violence in the region had targeted him, leading to social isolation as even friends and relatives stopped contacting him.

Rezaul Karim Rony, Editor of Joban, emphasised the unrest in both the hills and the plains, pointing out that many people still acted like fascists after having lived under fascism for so long. He called for true independence for the people and questioned what kind of independence they really sought. He shared his disillusionment with mainstream media, recounting an experience where he translated a significant report against a former Prime Minister, only to see no one else in the media dare to publish it.

Major Rezaul Karim, a former military officer who was discharged due to poltical reasons, shared his experience during the BDR killings when he was stationed with RAB. He and his comrades had been denied permission to act, and afterwards, he was branded a terrorist, blindfolded, and interrogated. He spent five years in jail and stressed that injustice had been done against him.

Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, a teacher and political analyst, reflected on the atmosphere of fear and self-censorship in society. He recounted how even he avoided directly naming members of the ruling family in his public addresses. He pointed out that fear, while justified, had often been exaggerated.

Masood Kamal, a senior journalist, humbly acknowledged that he had simply continued doing the journalism he had always known. He remarked that he never believed the media would be as free as it was now and expressed hope that the government would listen to constructive criticism.

Michael Chakma, an organiser with the United People’s Democratic Front, recounted being held in darkness for five years after his abduction. He emphasised the inhumanity of the treatment he had endured and questioned whether his crime had been speaking out for the political rights of his people. He called for a solution in the hill areas that did not involve military rule.

U Mimi Marma, Special Correspondent for IPNEWS BD, spoke from her perspective as a student and indigenous person. She highlighted the ongoing violence and lack of justice for Indigenous people, particularly in the Khagrachari region, and expressed her frustration alongside her hope that justice would come in a new Bangladesh.

Kalpana Akter, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity, shared how her work in fighting for workers’ rights was often suppressed, leading to surveillance, interrogation, and branding as a foreign agent. She urged journalists to pursue the truth, even if it was difficult.

Qadaruddin Shishir, Fact Check Editor for AFP in Bangladesh, stated that the most misinformation he had encountered came from the state itself. Despite attempts by powerful individuals to co-opt him, he remained firm in his journalistic integrity and shared his dream of seeing truly independent media in Bangladesh.

Khadijatul Kubra, a student at Jagannath University, described her experience of being arrested under the DSA, which paused her education and life for an extended period. Now that she could finally speak out again, she expressed her desire to work with others who had faced discrimination.

Umama Fatema, Coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, credited the people of Bangladesh for toppling the Sheikh Hasina regime and spoke about the sense of empowerment and ownership that female students had experienced during the protests. However, she expressed concern that the role of women in the movement was being marginalised and that the current government remained dysfunctional.

Mamun Abdullah, Liaison Coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, recounted how he was unable to stay in university dorms due to pressure and surveillance by the Chhatra League. He expressed disappointment in the lack of consensus on human dignity in the nation and warned that the revolutionary spirit of the 2024 mass uprising might not manifest again if real reforms were not implemented.