Students Against Discrimination announces ‘March for Unity’ discarding proclamation of July revolution

Students Against Discrimination (SAD) has announced ‘March for Unity’ from the Central Shaheed Minar on Tuesday instead of announcing the “Proclamation of July revolution” they intended to unveil from the same spot.

The students’ body that led the student-people uprising that ousted the governing Awami League informed this to the media around 1:45 am Tuesday.

Announcing the programme, Students Against Discrimination member secretary Arif Sohel said, “We announce ‘March for Unity’ to be brought out from the Central Shaheed Minar at 3:00 pm today, 31 December. We call upon you, the people of Bangladesh from all walks of life, to join the programme in continuation of your enthusiasm that led you to unity.”

Earlier on Sunday, the leaders of the Students Against Discrimination told a media conference that they would announce on Tuesday the “Proclamation of July revolution” at the same place where the one-point demand was declared.

They also announced two fundamental issues of the proclamation. Addressing the media conference, Students Against Discrimination coordinator Hasnat Abdullah said, “We want the Mujibist constitution to be declared buried. The grave of the Mujibist constitution of 1972 will be dug from the same place where the one-point demand was declared. We expect the Nazi Awami League will be declared irrelevant in the Proclamation of July revolution.”

The mainstream political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) did not want to issue any clear statement regarding the SAD’s decision to announce the Proclamation of July Revolution while some of the parties have raised questions over this.

They say the students should have held meetings with political parties and other stakeholders before finalising the Proclamation of July revolution. Any proclamation before doing so will create divisions among the sides that took part in the mass uprising.

At the same time, some of the political parties extended support to the initiative taken by the students.

Amid daylong discussion on the matter, chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam addressed an emergency media briefing in front of the State Guest House Jamuna around 9:30 pm.

He said that the interim government has taken an initiative to prepare a proclamation of the July mass uprising on the basis of national consensus.

The proclamation will be announced to consolidate people’s unity, anti-fascist spirit and aspirations for state reform which were formed through the uprising in July and August.

Following this announcement of the government, an uncertainty appeared on whether the Students Against Discrimination would announce the Proclamation of July revolution. The leaders of the Students Against Discrimination held a meeting at their central office in the capital’s Bangla Motor intersection area at night.

Following the meeting, the leaders of the Students Against Discrimination spoke to the media presenting their stance on the matter.

Speaking to the media, former coordinator of Students Against Discrimination and currently chief organiser of Jatiya Nagorik Committee Sarjis Alam said the proclamation was supposed to be announced from the Shaheed Minar at 3:00 pm on 31 December. But the interim government has felt that they should announce the proclamation, bringing the whole country, including the political parties and all other stakeholders of the uprising, to a common ground.

“We welcome the move when the state, the interim government takes the responsibility (of announcing the proclamation) rather than the anti-discrimination platform,” Sarjis Alam stated.

Later, speaking to the media, member secretary of Students Against Discrimination, Arif Sohel highlighted Tuesday’s programme. “The new Bangladesh has emerged in a historical background based on the people’s aspiration that appeared through the spontaneous participation of the student-people in the mass uprising in July-August, in other words,  the promise of abolishing the fascist system and establishing a new political settlement. The July proclamation was essential as a recognition of the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs and wounded soldiers and as a document of the people’s aspiration. The historical responsibility for formulating this proclamation falls on the platform Students Against Discrimination that led the July mass uprising.”

He further said, “Despite a number of adversities, we the Students Against Discrimination on behalf of the students and people of Bangladesh, took the responsibility of composing and announcing the proclamation. Our initiative has touched the student-people of Bangladesh positively and generated enthusiasm among them. In this context, an initiative has been taken from the state level to compose the July proclamation at the call of the student-people. The student-people welcome this timely move.”

Earlier around 12:45 am, chief organiser of Students Against Discrimination, Abdul Hannan Masud said, “Various types of barriers were created so that we cannot present the historic document of July revolution. But the government has agreed to it.”

Terming this as their primary victory, he further said, “There have been domestic and international conspiracies regarding our proclamation. But our interim government has thwarted all the conspiracies. They said a proclamation will be announced by the government.”

Calling upon the people to take to the streets, this leader of Students Against Discrimination said, “We announced a programme earlier, we the rebels will gather at Central Shaheed Minar. There will be an announcement from the government but that won’t stop our gathering. The injured and families of the martyrs and our mothers and sisters will take to the streets of Dhaka in support of the proclamation as they did on 5 August.”