Politicians, academics, writers and cultural activists on Friday emphasised the need for a new cultural movement aimed at the emancipation of the common people, inspired by the success of the July mass uprising led by students and the people.
They came up with the suggestion at the opening session of the two-day 16th national conference of Bangladesh Lekhak Shibir, a literary and cultural organisation, at Bangla Academy in the capital Dhaka with its acting president Mueenuddin Ahmad in the chair.
Former Lekhak Shibir president Hasibur Rahman said that after the victory of students and people鈥檚 uprising, the country would need a new cultural movement for establishing rights of the common people especially the farmers and workers.
He called on the Lekhak Shibir leaders to work countrywide for organising the cultural movements.
Academics and writer Khalequzzaman Elias said the Awami League was responsible for the current situation in the country.
The Awami League, the activities of which have been suspended until the trials of it and its leaders over atrocities during the July uprising that聽ousted the AL-led authoritarian regime on August 5, 2024.
Khalequzzaman called on the interim government, which assumed office on August 8, 2024, after the fall of the AL-led regime, to take steps for implementing the spirit of the students-people uprising.
He urged the Lekhak Shibir leaders to publish the organisation鈥檚 mouthpiece 鈥楾rinamul鈥� again.
Filmmaker and cultural activist Mohammad Quaiyum urged all political parties to contribute聽to implementing the spirit of the students-people uprising.
Lekhak Shibir general secretary Kazi Iqbal, former leader Pavel Chowdhury and central leader Shafi Rahman also spoke at the opening session.
Jatiya Mukti Council president Badruddin Umar was scheduled to open the conference, but he failed to do so as he admitted to a city hospital, organisers said.
Today, the second day of the event, there will be a discussion to be followed by a council session to elect a central committee of the organisation.
More than one hundred councillors and delegates of the organisation are attending the conference, the organisers said.
