Mass uprising wasn’t to impose religious dominance or any particular ideology: Zonayed Saki

The mass uprising of 5 August (2024) did not take place to impose any form of religious dominance or any particular ideology, Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki stated on Friday.

He made the remarks during a pre-procession rally in Chattogram city this afternoon.

Zonayed Saki said that the July–August uprising occurred to establish democracy. Thousands of youths sacrificed their blood for a new political settlement.

As part of Ganosamhati Andolan’s nationwide series of “mathal marches”, today’s programme was organised jointly by the organisation’s Chattogram north, south and city units.

Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, Zonayed Saki spoke on the constitution, reforms, elections, fascist politics and several other issues. He also introduced to party activists the Ganosamhati Andolan leaders who are contesting as candidates in the upcoming national election.

The Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator said that Sheikh Hasina had tried to suppress the movement through various machinations, conspiracies, attacks, lawsuits, repression and killings. Students took to the streets in July–August. Students were shot dead in broad daylight. That was why the people of Bangladesh united.

Pointing out that the students played the leading role in this struggle, uniting people across the country, he further said that the political parties, various professional groups and citizens from all walks of life took to the streets during this period. The uprising took place to establish democracy and build a state free from fascism.

Speaking on the matter of ports, Zonayed Saki said that the interim government survives on the support of political parties and stakeholders. Before taking decisions on any major national issue, it should have consulted political parties and stakeholders from different sectors. Instead, the government signed agreements on ports without any such consultation.

Regarding the upcoming parliamentary election, the Ganosamhati Andolan leader said, “We want to stand tall with dignity on the world stage. With that goal in mind, we have charted the course of our politics. Let us work together to ensure that Bangladesh’s new democratic journey, through the upcoming election, becomes successful. We need political rights. Without political rights, our freedom of speech, our freedom to raise demands, and each individual’s right to survival will not be secured.”

Zonayed Saki further said, “From the very beginning, Ganosamhati Andolan has continued its struggle to establish the rights and dignity of workers, peasants, labouring and marginalised people, including the majority in this country. The state established through the Liberation War, built upon the blood of hundreds of thousands of martyrs, had pledged to ensure equality, human dignity and social justice for all citizens. But regrettably, in the past 54 years, we have not seen that equality, dignity or social justice realised.”

Drawing on the constitution, Zonayed Saki said, “The foundation of authoritarianism, fascism and autocracy in Bangladesh lies in the constitutional power structure. The Constitution of 1972 gave the prime minister far greater power than any head of government in the world. With that power, successive governments placed all institutions in their pockets and oppressed the people. That is why we have said clearly: merely changing the ruler or the government will not be enough. The system of governance and the constitutional power structure must be changed, otherwise the democratic rights of the people will not be established.”

Zonayed Saki elaborated on various stages of state reform. “We have presented specific proposals for fundamental reforms to the governance system. Among these are the abolition of Article 70 of the Constitution. This article has turned elected representatives into mere hand-raising MPs.”

He continued, “We have demanded that no individual should be allowed to serve more than two terms as prime minister. We have also called for the formation of a constitutional commission to oversee appointments to all constitutional bodies, including the election commission, Anti-Corruption Commission and Public Service Commission. We have long demanded that the judiciary be made fully independent so that it cannot be influenced, that parliament become bicameral to ensure balance of power through proportional representation, and that power be balanced between the president and the prime minister.”

Zonayed Saki said that securing political rights alone does not ensure that people will have food to eat. “If the country’s economy is an economy of plunder, there will be exploitation of resources, extreme inequality, and money laundering; but there will be no liberation for the people. That is why we believe that alongside political rights, the fair share of labouring people and the rights of every citizen must be established.”

Among the speakers at the pre-procession rally were Ganosamhati Andolan–endorsed candidates, including: Mizanur Rahim Chowdhury (Chattogram-2), Zahidul Alam (Chattogram-4), Koli Akter (Chattogram-5), Nasir Uddin Talukder (Chattogram-6), Hasan Maruf Rumi (Chattogram-9), Apurba Nath (Chattogram-10) and Syed Salauddin Shahid Shimul (Chattogram-11).

After the rally, the procession began at Kazir Dewri in the city and concluded with a brief rally at Andarkilla intersection.