July Uprising is Collective People's Movement, Not for Political Shares: Nahid Islam

The July mass uprising cannot be viewed merely as a movement driven exclusively by political parties or their active cadres, remarked Nahid Islam, Convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Opposition Chief Whip. In his words, July belonged to people from all walks of life—including individuals outside active politics, those with an 'I hate politics' mindset, swing voters, working-class communities, and students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. He shared these insights in a detailed status posted on his verified Facebook account late Thursday night (August 6).

Nahid Islam wrote that he does not personally know many of the individuals who prayed for him, ran social media campaigns, drew artwork, or composed songs while he was injured and detained during the July revolution. He fondly recalled the contributions of countless citizens, including rickshaw and van pullers who rushed the injured to hospitals, doctors who provided medical care, and professionals from various fields. He emphasized that many young men and women with no direct political affiliations participated in the July movement, and their crucial participation was key to its success. According to Nahid Islam, the vast majority of these people returned to their regular daily lives after July and remain unattached to any political faction. However, a troubling tendency has emerged to fragment and view July through the lens of political parties.

Criticizing this political narrative, he wrote: "We, the politicians, have divided July among political parties. We are calculating the shares—how much goes to BNP, how much to NCP, and how much to Jamaat. This is how the stakes of July have been and continue to be distributed. But July did not belong solely to political parties and their activists; July belonged to everyone, to people from all walks of life." In his status, he shared that he has spent the last two days sending personal messages to express his deep gratitude to those who quietly went home after the movement ended. Expressing a desire to personally message and thank all "16 crore revolutionaries" of Bangladesh, he apologized that practical limitations prevented him from reaching everyone.

He firmly declared, "Countless mothers, grandmothers, sisters, people from various classes and professions, remittance warriors, laborers, Islamic scholars, journalists, teachers, lawyers, artists, soldiers, army officers, madrasa students, and school, college, and university students, expats, and professionals—are the true owners, the authors of July." Acknowledging that post-July expectations have not been fully met, Nahid Islam noted that the path to transformation remains long. While stating that structural limitations and obstacles have hindered the achievement of all goals, he pledged to continue the ongoing struggle to establish a new Bangladesh. He simultaneously urged the nation to ensure that everyone plays an active role from their respective positions to build the Bangladesh envisioned by the July aspirations and to stand united for any future national needs.

//DBTech/FBP/SMI//