Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatradal (JCD) General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir said JCD wants to initiate merit-based student politics, keeping challenges of 21st century in mind.
He made the statement during an interview with Bangladesh Pratidin at BNP’s Naya Paltan office yesterday.
Bangladesh Pratidin: What is your future plan for JCD?
Nasir Uddin: We have welcomed the ongoing discussion of positive politics which started after the August 5, following mass uprising. BNP Acting Chairperson and organizing guardian of JCD Tarique Rahman also welcomed it, and he instructed the central leaders of JCD to conduct activities to ensure general students’ participation in JCD. More than 150 leaders have visited more than 2,000 educational institutions across the country.
During the last 15 years, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) has been doing ill-politics, and oppressive politics in educational institutions. JCD will prioritize the interests of students and will introduce the merit-based students’ politics keeping in mind the challenges of the 21st century. In the meantime, we have held discussions to hear their voices as the future politics of JCD will run on the basis of students’ opinion.
Bangladesh Pratidin: What is your opinion on governments’ decision of banning BCL?
Nasir Uddin: Not all, 2000 martyrs of July-August mass uprising were shot dead by Police. The people have witnessed how the BCL, Awami League (AL), and Jubo League men openly fired on the students and the masses. Therefore, stopping the activities of these terrorist organizations has become the demand of masses and that has been reflected through the banning of BCL under anti-terrorism law. We welcome this decision.
Bangladesh Pratidin: How do you describe this student-public uprising? Tell us about the role of JCD in the movement.
Nasir Uddin: Every time democracy and human rights have been violated in Bangladesh, students and people have come forward. JCD was the most affected student organization during the movement. More than a hundred JCD men were martyred, more than 5,000 were injured, and about 2,000 JCD men were imprisoned during the uprising. Many JCD leaders were detained and tortured by the police.
Bangladesh Pratidin: Have any expectations of mass-uprising met in the last four months?
Nasir Uddin: People were deprived of their voting rights in the last 15 years as AL illegally grabbed power. We hope that the government will arrange National Parliament Elections and hand over the power to the people’s government, aiming to uphold the spirit of July-August movement.
Bangladesh Pratidin: What are your expectations from interim government?
Nasir Uddin: The mass uprising has been occurred with the participation of every student’s organizations. “Anti-Discrimination Students Movement” was the platform of this movement. But if the government prioritizes the organization in this consideration, then it will be unjust to other student organizations. In the meantime, we have discussed this with 28 student organization.
We think that the government tries to provide all the credits of the movement to a single organization. We have no dispute with the platform, but we see that after the uprising only they [the leaders of the platform] are getting the opportunity to participate as students’ representatives. We call for a national unity with participation of all stakeholders.
Bangladesh Pratidin: Thank you.
Nasir Uddin: Thank you too.
Translated by Afsar Munna
