On December 31, the “Proclamation of July Revolution” may declare the deposed Awami League irrelevant as a political force and signal the burial of the 1972 Mujibist Constitution, resembling the symbolic dismantling of a regime akin to the Nazi Party.
This statement was made by Hasnat Abdullah, the central convenor of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, during an emergency press conference at the organization’s central office in Bijoynagar on Sunday, December 29, at 11:30 AM.
However, during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, was asked about this announcement. He stated, “The program to declare the ‘July Proclamation of Revolution’ lacks clarity. The government has no involvement in this matter.”
Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, added, “Until the proclamation is formally announced, the matter remains unclear to us, and it is not possible to provide a definitive response at this time.”
Deputy Press Secretary Apurba Jahangir, Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahmed, and Assistant Press Secretary Suchismita Tithi were present at the briefing.
At his earlier press conference, Hasnat Abdullah emphasized that the proclamation would outline the kind of Bangladesh people desire and envision for the future. It would include assurances of voting rights and other fundamental entitlements. He asserted, “Through this proclamation, the Awami League will be declared irrelevant, and the Mujibist Constitution of 1972 will be laid to rest.”
Hasnat expressed regret over the delay in issuing this proclamation. He said, “The aspirations and struggles of the people, the fall of fascism—these expectations must be realized. On December 31, under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, the ‘July Proclamation’ for the future of Bangladesh will be presented.”
He further stated that the draft proclamation has already been shared with various political parties, and the final document will be read aloud on December 31 with collective participation.
Sarjis Alam, Chief Organizer of the National Citizens’ Committee, remarked that the proclamation was long overdue. He said, “To move the state forward, we failed to garner sufficient support from different sectors. The proclamation will serve as a document of Bangladesh, differentiating between the rejected systems of the past and the new systems to be introduced. It will reflect the hopes and aspirations of all Bangladeshis and guide those who take up governance in the future.”
Abdul Hannan Masud, Chief Coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, stated, “We are determined not to let the revolution of 2024 be hijacked, as the revolution of 1971 was. In 2024, people of all faiths took to the streets, and the struggle to reclaim those streets continues.”
The press conference was also attended by Zahid Ahsan, a member of the Media Cell of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
To formally recognize the July Revolution, the “July Proclamation” will be presented on December 31 by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. During the event, 158 coordinators, including Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, will take an oath. All anti-fascist political parties have been invited to the event.
The proclamation is expected to address significant historical events, including the liberation from colonial British rule in 1947, the mass uprising of 1969, the Liberation War of 1971, the anti-autocracy movement of the 1990s, and the popular uprising of 2024. It will also incorporate the people’s aspirations into its vision.
On Saturday evening, two posts were made on the verified Facebook pages of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens’ Committee. The first post read, “December 31, 2024, are the revolutionaries ready?” The second post, in English, stated, “Proclamation of July Revolution.”
