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Politicians and academics want a new Bangladesh built on the spirit of the War of Independence and the July-August student-led mass uprising with the aim of establishing equality, human dignity, and social justice, as pledged in the proclamation of independence.

Political landscape of Bangladesh faces a new reality after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina regime with renewed calls to build a society free of discrimination, restore democracy giving people back their right to vote through necessary institutional reforms, they said.

The politicians and academics came up with the observations while talking with ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· ahead of the country’s 54th Victory Day, to be observed today.

They also called for ensuring effective participation of the people in all decision-making processes and taking measures to prevent the rise of fascists.

They blamed successive governments’ policies, political instability, derailment from the spirit of the War of Independence, and opportunism and self-satisfaction of the ruling class for the nonfulfilment of the pledges that made the proclamation of the independence despite some development in economic, education, health  and some other sectors. 

Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·, ‘We are celebrating this Victory Day in a different manner as it would be held in a fascism-free atmosphere.’ 

He said, ‘The people were expecting a change for a long time, the BNP also fought for 16 years to bring the change while many leaders and activists fell victims to murder, enforced disappearance and torture.’

Finally the fascist government was deposed in a student-worker-led mass uprising, he added. 

‘We fought for 16 years to restore democracy and free the country from fascism, and we partially achieved it as the chief of the fascist government and its ministers fled the country.’ Now, the restoration of democracy is a must and that it is possible through a free, fair and impartial election, he said.

Nazrul hoped that the interim government would make necessary reforms as soon as possible to hold a free, fair and impartial national election to restore democracy.

Noting that on Victory Day in 1971, people had expected equality, human dignity, human rights, social justice, and financial freedom, he also said that the responsibilities of the government to be formed through the next election would be to fulfil these exceptions of the people.

Former Communist Party of Bangladesh president and freedom fighter Mujahiul Islam Selim said that the nation failed to implement the spirit of the War of Independence even after 53 years of victory.

‘After the fall of fascist Hasina’s rule on August 5, we want to build a democratic Bangladesh where the spirit of the War of Independence would be implemented and rights of the people would be established.’ he said.

The left political parties should form a united front for the implementation of programmes for the establishment of a democratic country, Selim added.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal–JSD president ASM Abdur Rob said the emergence of a new reality in national politics through the student-led mass uprising also created a great opportunity for the nation to overthrow the old oppressive system.

He said that participatory democracy must be established by further expanding the limited and narrow democracy t0 ensure effective participation of the people in decision-making and implementation processes.

Rob also sought clear guidelines for preventing any kind of fascism, maintaining a balance of power between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, decentralising power and ensuring the independence and autonomy of state and constitutional institutions.

Socialist Party of Bangladesh adviser Khalequzzaman said that it was the failure of politicians that a democratic country could and rights of the people could not be established in 53 years.

‘We want a democratic transition of the country and the interim government must ensure free, fair and credible elections as early as possible.’  Khalequzzaman said.

Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said that after the fall of the fascist Awami League government, the nation wanted to establish an inclusive, democratic and dignified Bangladesh. 

‘To achieve this goal, we need a new political settlement,’ Saki added.

Former Jahangirnagar University professor Anu Muhammad said that the main goal of the War of Independence was to establish a democratic, non-communal and discrimination-free democratic Bangladesh, but it was not fulfilled in the past 53 years.

The student-led mass uprising in 2024 happened in the country to establish a new democratic Bangladesh, removing all inequalities from the society, he said. 

He said that Bangladesh saw military and non-military autocratic rules repeatedly, but the past 15 years of autocratic rules were violent and anti-people with incidents of enforced disappearance, killing, and torture.

‘Big political parties failed to play a proper role as true political parties; as a result, the change came through the uprising led by students instead of political parties.