The student-led mass uprising was driven by the expectation of radical change, including a shift in political power. Fundamental reforms and elections were at the core of the movement. While much attention has been given to the role of students and activists in the uprising’s success, the general public—the majority who will ultimately express their opinions through voting—remains overlooked. Ignoring the voice of this vast population is not an option.
Experts shared these views at a discussion on Bangladesh’s political system, held at the BRAC Center in the capital on Saturday.
Speaking at a panel discussion titled “Restoring Stability in the Economic and Political Landscapes: Navigating Fragility to Resilience”, during the 8th annual conference of the private research institute, South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), speakers noted that while some political parties are prioritising immediate elections over reforms, the broader demand of the mass uprising is for both.
They stressed that the ongoing trend of consolidating power must end, and meaningful changes must be introduced to strengthen the democratic process.
CPD Chairman Professor Rehman Sobhan, delivering a special guest speech, highlighted that both major political parties have long been dominated by strong, dynastic leaders.
He pointed out that the root of undemocratic practices within these parties lies in their leadership structures, where power has been concentrated in the hands of a few.
This, he argued, has led to the erosion of internal democracy. The key challenge now is how to democratise these major parties.
Rehman Sobhan further noted that political mobilisation through mass gatherings and violence has become an entrenched practice.
He hoped that new alternatives could emerge to break this cycle.
Addressing the student movement, he remarked, “You are forming a new political party, taking the initiative to establish a third force for the first time. Now, the question is whether your party will uphold democratic principles. Only when you can successfully challenge the major parties in elections will you truly emerge as a force.”
The CPD chairman also highlighted the increasing influence of money in politics, noting that the line between politicians and businessmen has become increasingly blurred.
“For years, political participation has been both ideological and non-ideological. But today, politics has become the easiest path to financial gain,” he said.
Rehman Sobhan emphasised that this issue is not limited to members of parliament only, but extends to local government representatives as well.
“The Awami League may no longer be in the field, but their influence has simply been replaced,” he added.
CPD distinguished fellow professor Rounaq Jahan moderated the panel on creating a post-mass uprising democratic political settlement keeping people in the driving seat.
Senior research fellow at Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Mirza M Hasan, presented the keynote paper at the discussion.
In her discussion on the keynote paper, professor Rounaq Jahan said, “We have now been speaking about student-people all the time but there is a category beyond them, the common people. We know who the students are. Besides, the people mean those who are engaged in politics on the street. But the common people are the majority of the population of our country, the silent majority. They wait for the election day when they will reflect their opinions through secret ballots.”
Expressing her doubts regarding the freedom of expression after July-August, Rounaq Jahan said, “Now everyone can speak; there is no culture of fear. We have to realise that everyone is speaking but no one is listening. Which one is actually true? So many types of narratives are coming out that we want everyone to have their freedom in this age of social media, and let there be no culture of fear. But I have heard that actually, people are not able to speak up due to tagging in social media and for various other reasons. Then, how would we establish the truth?”
“Various things are getting traction in social media due to various reasons. I must pay due attention to this,” she insisted.
Head of the constitution reform commission professor Ali Riaz said, “We want a change in the political settlement of the elites. Responding to the criticisms made about the constitution reform commission, I want to say that a liberal democratic system has to be established instead of the existing elite political settlement. What could be better than this? Maybe it could have. Keeping the existing political system in consideration, we thought there could be no better solution than this.”
“Many term the July uprising as a revolution. But I don’t think so. These reforms commissions would not have been required if it were a revolution. That means, we still are within the old political settlement. That is why the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) is important; the Jamaat (Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami) is important. There has to be discussions with them. There has to be discussion also with them, who have emerged through the uprising, the students, who are going to constitute a new political party.”
Lawyer and rights activist Sara Hossain said, “There has to be thoughts on how the fundamental rights could be made contemporary if you want to reform the constitution. How much could we be vocal regarding people’s participation in the democratic process and justice to them. How much could we be vocal about those who were victims of killing and sustained injuries. Even at this moment, we could see that we cannot be unanimous on this issue. Even after the publication of the UN report, we are observing various attempts to deny it. Now, how much the people would be vocal about this, is a test for us.”
Speaking at the programme, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said, “Is there an environment for all of us to speak with an open mind six months after the mass uprising? No. We are speaking about the student-people. So many discussions, so many talks about democracy, good days, (as if) there would be solutions if you do something. Are we involving people with all these?”
Taking part in the panel discussion, professor Asif M Shahan of development studies department at Dhaka University laid emphasis on bringing the activities of law enforcement agencies under accountability.
Jatiya Nagorik Committee co-convener Sarwar Tushar said there was no system of listening to the people in the past system of governance. The main political parties did not uphold the pledges they made before coming to power.
According to him, nothing but a fair election was the people’s aspiration before the July mass uprising. But the aspiration is not limited to a fair election after the uprising. This uprising was not only for changing the power.
Speaking about the demands of main political parties, including the BNP, of organising the election soon, Sarwar Tushar said, “We also want elections but they don’t want reforms. The local government system must be established to give importance to the opinions of the people. Currently, there is local administration in the name of local government. This has to change.”