The days of January 11, 2007, and August 5, 2024, are not similar. These two days are memorable in the history of Bangladesh. Army was the hero of January 11, 2007, which is known to all as 1/11. On the other hand, students and people are the heroes of August 5, 2024, which is called ‘July Revolution’. The army led by Moeen U Ahmed was the hero of 1/11. All but BNP and its allies welcomed the then Army. Awami League and the then civil society used to say proudly that 1/11 was the outcome of their movement. The opposite incident happened in the July Revolution. Students and people are the heroes of this movement. The countrymen, except the Awami League and its allies, took part in the revolution. Patriot Army has supported it. However, the aim of these two events is similar. The country will be for the people and corruption-free. The rule of law will be established in the country. The fundamental rights of the people and their human rights will be protected. But, the result of the 1/11 government and the outcome of the rule in the past 18 years seems to the countrymen as a scalded dog fears cold water.
Many people did a post-mortem of the 1/11 in many ways. This post-mortem is usually done three times and in three ways. Some people spoke about the need for such a government before the incident. That is why, they claimed that the 1/11 government is their government. Many spoke about the success stories during the rule of that government. But nobody told the stories of their inefficiency, dishonesty and fraud with the nation. However, when the 1/11 government was gone, some people spoke about its failures. The most daring act of the 1/11 government was the arrest of Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on July 16, 2007, and three-time prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia on September 3 of the same year. The arrest of two leaders created fear among the people to the government. An image was created that everything is possible for this government. At the same time, the inventors of the minus two formula were very happy. However, the 1/11 government got all the facilities to do necessary reformations, run non-political activities of politics, stop corruption, establish the rule of law and also received public support. But people day by day became angry as the rulers engaged in misdeeds despite having a golden opportunity in their hands. At one stage, an unpleasant incident happened between the students and the Army personnel at Dhaka University's central sports ground on August 20, 2007. Army members tortured teachers and students. Public Administration Department Professor and Bangladesh Public Service Commission’s current chairman Mobasser Monem had been harassed by the Army personnel. Protesting the incident, students became agitated. The agitation spread across the country on August 21, 22 and 23. Later, the public outrage started to increase gradually on various issues. Anyway, the following incident is known to all. The then government and the Army finally missed the opportunity for a positive change or reformations. All the horror stories of cheating, inefficacy and dishonestly of the 1/11 government and its stakeholders with the nation started to publish. Following the formation of the Awami League government, many top brasses and beneficiaries of the 1/11 government including Fakhruddin and Moeen Uddin left the country as they couldn’t feel safe after committing massive misdeeds. Those who were staying in the country, many of them passed away. Many remained silent and many of them went out of the public eye. '1/11 masterminds’ is now considered a bad language by the countrymen. Those who were the inventors of the minus two formula are still hated by the people.
We have got another opportunity after 18 years. Students and people removed a heavy stone of fascism. We, common people, survived with a gasp. Almost all but Awami League and 14-party leaders and activists praised the students and people. They distributed sweets. The Army didn’t occupy the power despite chance. Revolutionary students and people have handed over the charge of the state to Nobel laureate Dr Mohammad Yunus by receiving him with a garland. At first, he did not agree to take this responsibility. Dr Yunus presented the historical event of taking responsibility to the countrymen and the world. Yunus said, "I was in Paris at that time. Another opportunity is being missed. I was working on Olympic arrangements. At that time, the first phone call came. I was admitted to the hospital for a minor operation during the call. I was informed that Sheikh Hasina had left the country. Now, we have to form the government. Please form a government for us. In reply, I said, I don’t know about the matter and don’t want to engage with it. But agitating students requested me repeatedly. They said you are the right person during the crisis of the country. I tried to manage them, saying there are so many eligible leaders in Bangladesh. You can choose any one of them. In response, they said, no, we couldn’t find anyone. You must come. And finally, I agreed, considering the sacrifice of the students.” After taking charge of the interim government, he, multiple times described the background of his duty as the Chief Adviser at home and abroad like a child. If Sheikh Hasina is in power, this world-famous person might remain in jail. But almighty Allah has dignified him with full-pledge support from the students and the people. The countrymen had huge expectations from this high-profile person. They had a positive expectation that something would happen this time. He formed the advisory council to fulfil the expectations of the students and people. But conscious countrymen at first received a shock by seeing the advisers of his government. Questions were raised about whether Dr Yunus can change the country with his advisers like his three-zero theory or not. Initially, this question was among some experts, but now it spread to many people in the last 6 months. Members of his advisory council in the last 6 months proved that they are far behind Dr Yunus in thinking, efficiency, knowledge and worldwide positive image. If we even accept that there are no more eligible persons to reform the country, that will be the unfortunate of the 17 crore people. However, it is mentionable that members of the advisory council were successful in their small work fields.
After the July Revolution, the social, political and international status of the students especially coordinators, was enviable. Many people feel proud by shaking hands with the student coordinators. Many of them made their Facebook profile by capturing photographs with coordinators. Many parents had inspired their children to become revolutionary and brave in future by showing pictures of the coordinators. After the July Revolution, clashes and chaos occurred in many places in the country. The clashes or chaos would end if a coordinator reached there. But we saw that injured persons of the July revolution took position in front of the Chief Adviser’s state guest house Jamuna at midnight on February 3. Hearing the news, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Coordinator Hasnat Abdullah went to the spot and expressed solidarity with the agitating injured. He termed its government’s failure not to ensure proper treatment of the wounded persons of the movement. The countrymen watched the scene through the media and realized Hasnat Abdullah had not been evaluated as before in a few months. Fellow revolutionaries are challenging him.
Revolutionaries are currently busy with forming a new political party. Their party might be unveiled in the next week. After that, the roadmap for the election will be announced. All will participate in the next election. Revolutionaries are coming to politics to bring back the positive trend in politics. This initiative must be appreciated. Now, we all have to observe that the current downward image of the government and the revolutionaries will stop at what stage till the election. At present, revolutionaries are saying about the failure of the government. If this failure increases further and revolutionaries become frustrated, then it will be a matter of thinking that -- an opportunity to form the country might be missed. It is so tough to retain respect and prosperity than to achieve these.'
Writer: Executive Editor, Bangladesh Pratidin. He can be reached at [email protected]
