Dhaka: The Liberation War of 1971, the mass uprising against autocracy in 1990, and the student-people’s uprising of 2024 are all rooted in the same aspiration and are not contradictory to one another, said Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convener of the Citizen’s Platform, during an event on Tuesday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Debapriya emphasized that the Proclamation of Independence of April 10, 1971, aimed to establish a sovereign state ensuring equality, human dignity, and social justice. He highlighted that the Liberation War was a principal means to build that state, and the subsequent movements emerged from the same aspiration to realize those ideals.
Speaking at a programme titled ‘National Election 2026 and Citizens’ Expectations’, organized by the Citizen’s Platform, Debapriya stated that the struggles for independence in 1971, the anti-autocracy movement in 1990, and the 2024 uprising were all driven by people’s quest for equality, dignity, justice, and rights.
Following the Liberation War, he noted that people hoped to dismantle old structures and build a new Bangladesh, but that aspiration remained unfulfilled, leading to the united stand against autocracy in 1990.
Debapriya further elaborated on recent history, mentioning that over the past one and a half decades, freedom of expression has shrunk, power has become increasingly centralized, and corruption and misgovernance have intensified. These developments prompted students and ordinary people to take to the streets once again, leading to the mass uprising of 2024.
He insisted that there is no conflict among the three historic moments, asserting that in all three periods, people stood up for their rights and dignity. He underscored the pressing need for a credible national election, highlighting concerns regarding the election and the post-election governance system.
Debapriya remarked that the Citizen’s Platform has reached out to people across all eight divisional cities, engaging them in dialogues to capture their hopes and aspirations. Workshops at 15 universities have also been conducted to reflect young people’s perspectives on Bangladesh.
A citizens’ manifesto has been prepared, incorporating the views of marginalized and deprived communities along with collective national aspirations. This manifesto, as Debapriya explained, is framed on the ethical foundation of the Proclamation of Independence of April 10, 1971. It aims to amplify the voices of marginalised people, women, and the disadvantaged.
The Citizen’s Platform has also launched a Reform Tracker to allow citizens to monitor how much reform any government undertakes and to what extent citizens’ expectations are fulfilled. Debapriya concluded by stating that the platform will prioritize programmes over rhetoric, working towards building an inclusive state to ensure the implementation of the manifesto.