Independence of 1971 and 2024 not contradictory: Nahid Islam
National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam said on Wednesday said the Independence of 1971 and 2024 was not contradictory; rather this was a continuation.
“Following the mass uprising, there has been an opportunity and possibility of an independent, sovereign and humanitarian state, which we wanted to achieve through the mass uprising of 24 and our struggle of 71, our fight in 47. The Independence of 1971 and 2024 is not contradictory; rather we are in a continuation,” the NCP leader said.
Nahid Islam was talking to newspersons after paying respect to the martyrs at the National Memorial in Savar marking the Independence Day and National Day around 8:45 am on Wednesday.
“Let’s not destroy all those opportunities and possibilities just for the sake of assuming power. We are seeing, on one hand, a certain election is being imposed for assuming power bypassing justice and reforms; on the other hand, attempts are being made to rehabilitate fascist forces. We think the National Citizen Party will thwart all those,” he stated.
According to Nahid Islam, the mass uprising of 2024 was a continuation of the independence struggle from the anticolonial movement.
He further said, “We got an independent country in exchange for the blood of hundreds of thousands of martyrs. The people of Bangladesh have shed blood, sacrificed their lives at different stages of history, to achieve independence, for democracy, for justice and rights. We think that we have achieved the freedom that has been repeatedly lost, for which we had to shed blood repeatedly; this is our hope today that the people do not have to give blood again in the coming days.”
Earlier in the morning, after paying tribute to the martyrs at the National Memorial in Savar, BNP leader Mirza Abbas said, today’s Independence Day proves that there is no such thing as a second independence in Bangladesh. Those who say that want to devalue today’s Independence Day.
Pressed on the matter, Nahid Islam said, “We think that 71 and 24 are not different; rather the spirit of 1971 was revived through the mass uprising of 2024. We could not achieve in 54 years what we wanted in 1971. A fascism had suppressed Bangladesh for 15 years. That is why another mass uprising was required. The equality that was talked about in 1971, we are also talking about that society without discrimination in 2024. As a result, the people who want to pit those two against each other, their intentions are dishonest. We think they could not truly realise the mass uprising of 2024 and the victory of the student-people.”
The NCP leader also stated that they will not accept if national elections are given without reforms and justice.
“If elections are imposed to put only one party in power without reforms and justice, then it will definitely not be accepted,” he said.
Responding to another question about whether the unity that existed among the political parties before and after 5 August 2024, has been somewhat eroded, Nahid Islam said, “We think that we are still on the foundation of the opportunity that was created for national unity. But maybe the agenda of different parties is changing.”
He, however, emphasised that despite having different views and goals, different political parties will have to move forward together in the coming days if they want to implement the aspirations of the mass uprising of 2024 and protect the interests of the country.
“If anyone deviates from the aspirations of the mass uprising, the people’s aspirations for reforms and change, then there will definitely be no chance of unity with them,” Nahid Islam categorically said.