Jatiya Mukti Council President Badruddin Umar has said that last year’s historic July Uprising brought a change in leadership but failed to bring any transformation to the country’s ruling system.
“Many people saw it as a second independence,” he said. “But in reality, it didn’t change everyone’s lives. The Uprising failed to eliminate class discrimination.”
He made these remarks during a discussion held at the National Press Club in the capital on Friday, marking the first anniversary of the July Uprising.
The programme, organised by Jatiya Mukti Council, was titled “Not Reforms – Prepare Politically for a Mass Uprising of Workers and Farmers for Total People’s Liberation.”
While acknowledging the Uprising as a historic event, Umar also criticised the student leadership for not ushering in a democratic transition.
He said, “The students did not organise the movement to address any major social issue. Their demand was for reforming the government job quota. It was not a movement for class transformation, but rather for the redistribution of limited opportunities.”
He added, “Due to repression and the lack of space for long-term movements, the general public couldn’t organise separately. They joined the student-led protests out of anger and frustration. That’s what led to the mass uprising.”
Expressing disappointment over the political situation, Umar said, “Nothing has changed in the past year that gives us hope. The new leadership is doing the same things Sheikh Hasina did. She may be gone, but the habits of the ruling class remain unchanged.”
He further stated that the political forces which came to power following the uprising cannot be called progressive.
“Overall, right-wing forces are gaining dominance in national politics. Religious influence has increased. Jamaat-e-Islami has become stronger. Even the party formed by students is now echoing similar conservative views,” he said.
Umar also alleged that this political leaning was a key reason why a section of the student movement initially rejected the involvement of leftist groups.
Among others, Jatiya Mukti Council Secretary Faizul Hakim, Sajib Roy, and Bhulan Bhowmik also spoke at the event.