Students Against Discrimination: ‘Proclamation of July revolution’ set for Dec 31

The Students Against Discrimination is set to proclaim on December 31 the July mass uprising as a revolution.

The Proclamation of July Revolution is likely to include what student leaders say is a framework for a country free of discrimination.

Leaders of the platform, which spearheaded the uprising that toppled the Awami League government, made the announcement on Facebook yesterday evening.

Hasnat Abdullah, convener of Students Against Discrimination, shared on Facebook a status about the proclamation late last night.

“Why do we need a Proclamation of Revolution? To save my existence, your existence, and to transform our movement into a true revolution, this proclamation is essential. This should have been done on August 5. Even though it’s late, it’s still reassuring news,” reads the status written by Fardeen Hasan, editor of The Inquest, a bite-sized news aggregator platform.

“You may be wondering what this proclamation means. It is the formal declaration of a new political framework.”

“The current government is illegal as per the constitution. But a proclamation directly challenges the constitution…the constitution needs to be interpreted and amended in light of the proclamation. It [proclamation] rejects the state system that has, until now, treated me, you, or anyone else as a mere pawn in a broken system…

“The proclamation is vital to overhaul this outdated state machinery. It will discard the obsolete rules of the state apparatus and lay the foundation for a new state structure illuminated by the ideals of July. The dreams of a new Bangladesh that people have cherished will be realised through this…”

The proclamation will feature a timeline of events, from the quota reform movement to the departure of Sheikh Hasina. It will also address critical incidents from the past 15 years, including the BDR mutiny, the Shapla Chattar crackdown, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.

A member of the platform drew parallels with other historical documents, such as the “Tin Joter Ruprekha” from the 1990 anti-Ershad movement and the Proclamation of Independence from 1971.

It will critically evaluate key historical events, including 1947 and 1971, and examine why the aspirations of various movements failed.

“The proclamation will serve as a documentary testament to the mass uprising,” said Umama Fatema, spokesperson for the platform. “It will highlight how the quota reform movement evolved into a revolution and why people laid down their lives.”

According to sources, the proclamation will explain the failures of past leadership and movements.

“The declaration will critique the proclamation of independence and the 1/11 caretaker government,” said a member of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, who along with others, drafted the proclamation.

Leaders of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee will be with the students at the Central Shaheed Minar at 3:00pm. Families of those martyred in the uprising will join the event.

Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, adviser to the ministry of local government, wrote on Facebook, “Comrades Now or Never”.

“This is the declaration of the burial of Mujibbad”, wrote Hasnat Abdullah.

The students and Jatiya Nagorik Committee, formed in September, plan to launch a political party by February.

Tuhin Khan, a member of the Jatiyo Nagorik Committee, told The Daily Star, “This proclamation will serve as both a written acknowledgment of the revolution and its manifesto, embedding the public aspirations of the movement into its framework.

“It legitimises the post-revolution government, granting it formal authority. It plays a crucial role in constitutional restructuring, often marking the beginning of a new constitution. It is formal, written, and made public. It initiates a significant break from the previous system, laying the foundation for a new political order.”

“For Bangladesh, this declaration symbolises a shift from fascism towards democracy, similar to the transitions from monarchy to democracy in France and Spain. However, it will also involve redefining secularism and reconciling conflicting ideologies within the nation’s context.”

He, however, said that these are his personal opinions and work of drafting the declaration is still ongoing.