Latest news with #JulyProclamation
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Politics in Bangladesh: One year after Sheikh Hasina's ouster is all agenda and no vision
'In matters of conscience', wrote Mahatma Gandhi, 'the law of majority has no place.' Gandhi knew that matters of the soul, of nations, too, cannot be determined by a committee. The student protestors surely had courage in putting their bodies on the frontline in their struggle against the quota system, which soon became a pitched battle against Sheikh Hasina's rule. They were rewarded for their courage by the forced flight of Hasina on August 5, 2024. But what they did not have was the moral courage to sketch a new path for a Naya Bangladesh. Their most decisive failure was their failure to produce a text imprinted with their vision for a New Bangladesh, and to instead delegate this task to various committees run by the 'law of majority'. This is illustrated by their belated July Proclamation, coming one full year after the success of the uprising. Unlike uprisings elsewhere with similarly high participation of intellectuals and educated sections, the July uprising was characterised by a lack: A lack of declarative texts. Imagine the American Revolution without the text of the 'Declaration of Independence', the French Revolution without the 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen'. Or the 1960s' protest movements across the world without their famous slogans and manifestos. The best example of all is, of course, the Communist Manifesto. For Bangladesh, it has been a year of 'rule by committees', including the 'reform' commissions which were delegated with the task of formalising the textual aspects of the revolution. The process unsurprisingly dragged on, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami easily intervening and influencing the decisions to their favour, in spite of the interim government taking care not to appoint members openly partisan to these parties. All the struggle, if we are to believe the student leaders and the chairmen of various commissions, is to produce that elusive text which will metaphysically salvage Bangladesh from both its past and future. The only things they miss are the present as it is and the people as they are. Even the usual inspired writing that results from a moment of such high energy is absent here. Only insipid commentary, poetry and theory that vilifies Hasina and her rule have been produced. Ironically, during the rule of Hasina, not everything was about Hasina; after her ouster, though, it seems that everything is haunted by the ghost of Hasina. The towering presence of Sheikh Hasina is now being replaced by her towering absence; the new minions are no match. The students, though, have created one big legacy — that of anti-fascism without fascism. Over the past year, Bangladesh has seen the flourishing of anti-fascism in popular rhetoric. The pejorative use of 'fascism' has proliferated, without any real referent. It can refer to anything uncomfortable — it has been used as an excuse to conduct mass arrests, target journalists, oppose reforms, support reforms, delay elections, call for elections, criticise bureaucratic delays, create bureaucratic delays, and most of all, as a talking point. Philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis defines ideology as something that allows us to distance ourselves from what we do. This is exactly the function of 'fascism' in Bangladesh today: It helps to mystify rather than justify an action. Under this ungrounded anti-fascism, the country goes on doing what it has been doing, just with different people at the helm and a moral high ground that allows them to pursue their goal ruthlessly. This solipsistic anti-fascism will surely sleep through the actual social and political problems that Naya Bangladesh is witnessing. Kuriakose Mathew teaches politics and international relations at the School of Liberal Arts and Management Studies, P P Savani University, Surat. Arjun Ramachandran is a research scholar at the Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad
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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
FirstUp: Bangladesh's Yunus to unveil ‘July Proclamation' on Hasina's exit anniversary and other top news
Bangladesh's interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, is set to announce a series of democratic reforms today, marking one year since the removal of the Sheikh Hasina-led administration. Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the party of former Pakistani PM Imran Khan, will launch a protest campaign today, demanding his release on the second anniversary of his arrest in Lahore on corruption charges read more The protests in July were sparked by a quota dispute, which led to massive unrest. AP/File Photo It's a busy Tuesday. Today marks one year since former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country by helicopter for India. The new interim government is expected to announce a series of planned changes aimed at reforming the country's democracy today. The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet for a special session to discuss the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. The meeting comes after the recent release of disturbing videos showing two of the captives. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Pakistan, Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), will launch its long-anticipated protest campaign today. The group is calling for the former prime minister's release. Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey, who faces five charges of rape and one of sexual assault, is set to appear at Westminster magistrates' court for a hearing today. Let's take a look at the events: Bangladesh to unveil 'July Proclamation' Bangladesh's interim government will announce a set of democratic reforms today, marking one year since the Sheikh Hasina-led administration was removed from power. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is leading the caretaker government as chief adviser. His office said the "July Proclamation" will be shared with the nation 'in the presence of all political parties involved in the mass uprising'. Muhammad Yunus is leading the caretaker government as chief adviser. Reuters/File Photo The document is expected to serve as an official account of the July protests and, according to the interim government, aims to bring the country together around ideas of anti-fascism, democratic revival and state reforms. The protests in July were sparked by a quota dispute, which led to massive unrest. The Awami League, which held power until August 2024, has since been barred from taking part in elections by the Yunus-led government. National elections are scheduled for April 2026. The July Declaration is expected to lay out the reforms the government says are necessary before the vote can take place. Special UNSC meet to discuss Israeli hostages in Gaza The United Nations Security Council is set to hold a special session today to discuss the 50 Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. The meeting was requested by Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar after recent videos were released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad showing hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski appearing extremely emaciated. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Evyatar David (L) and Rom Braslavski (R). Image: AFP/X Several Western leaders have criticised the release of the footage. Israeli officials have accused Hamas of denying food to the hostages. Hamas, however, claims that hostages receive the same food as its fighters and civilians amid Gaza's worsening hunger crisis. Aid agencies have accused Israel of using food as a weapon in its conflict with Hamas, contributing to famine conditions in Gaza. Israel has rejected the claim. Imran Khan's party to protest in Pakistan Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the party led by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, will begin its protest campaign today, calling for his release from what it calls 'illegal' detention. The protest has been planned to coincide with August 5, the day Khan was arrested in Lahore two years ago on corruption charges. PTI says the day will be observed as Black Day across the country. 'This movement is about justice, not confrontation. We want a fair trial of our leader's [Imran Khan] cases based on merit,' said senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser, according to Geo News. The protest has been planned to coincide with August 5, the day Khan was arrested in Lahore two years ago. Reuters/File Photo Notably, Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. He remains in jail facing multiple charges, including corruption and terrorism, linked to the May 9 riots of 2023. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thomas Partey to appear in court over rape charges Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is due to appear at Westminster magistrates' court today in connection with multiple sexual offence charges. He faces five charges of rape and one of sexual assault involving three women. The alleged incidents took place between 2021 and 2022. According to The Guardian, the charges include two counts of rape of one woman, three counts of rape of a second woman, and one count of sexual assault of a third woman. Notably, Partey was charged just four days after his departure from Arsenal following the end of his contract. During his nearly five-year spell with the club, he played 130 matches and scored nine goals. With inputs from agencies
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will oppose July Proclamation of interim govt. if it goes against Constitution of Bangladesh: BNP general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
The July Proclamation that is being planned on the anniversary of the anti-Sheikh Hasina uprising on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) in Dhaka will be opposed if it goes against the constitution of Bangladesh, said a senior leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday (August 4). Speaking to The Hindu, the party's general secretary, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said the interim government had consulted various stakeholders before going ahead with the planned announcement of the July Charter on Tuesday (August 5), but cautioned that the charter should not go against the 1972 constitution of Bangladesh which is based on the sacrifices of 1971 Liberation War. 'The interim government sent us a draft of the July Proclamation some weeks ago. We did not find anything objectionable in that draft but we do not know what will be the exact draft of the proclamation that will be launched on 5 August. If we find that the proclamation goes against our existing constitution, then we will oppose it,' said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir ahead of Tuesday's launch of the July Proclamation which is also being described as July Charter. Mr. Alamgir's remarks came hours after the interim government announced that Chief Adviser Prof Mohammed Yunus will announce the July Proclamation at 5 pm, Tuesday at the southern plaza of the Jatiyo Sansad, the parliament of Bangladesh. The July Proclamation came into focus in December 2024 when the student-activists who are among core support groups of the interim government, announced that they wanted to use the July Proclamation to 'bury' the 1972 constitution of Bangladesh. The attempt of the student activists was however not successful and the interim government stepped in and decided to carry forward the idea of the proclamation. In his Id speech on 6 June, Prof Yunus revived the idea of the July Proclamation saying that the text of the proclamation had been agreed upon by 'all parties'. Mr. Alamgir however told The Hindu that the interim government has not made BNP a signatory to the proclamation. 'The July proclamation is being brought by the government to highlight the uprising of July-August 2024. But we were not asked to put our signatures to it,' said Mr Alamgir speaking to The Hindu over telephone from Dhaka even as doubts persist over the BNP's participation in Tuesday's programme. BNP leaders have not declined the invitation of the interim government to participate in the event in the parliament of Bangladesh though it is understood that a small team from the party is most likely to be at the event as BNP is waiting to see the final draft of the proclamation. BNP which is one of the two major political formations – the other being Awami League – to have governed Bangladesh since 1972 constitution was launched, believes that framing of any guiding principle for the country should be undertaken by elected representatives and not by an interim administration. In the meanwhile, traffic guidelines have been issued for Tuesday as the capital of Bangladesh prepares for the launch of the July Charter. Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abdul Kalam Azad Majumdar said that the Prof Yunus will read the document personally as Bangladesh marks a year since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Dhaka to unveil democratic overhauls
Bangladesh's interim government said on Saturday it will release its slate of democratic overhauls on August 5, the one-year anniversary of the overthrow of the previous autocratic administration. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, ending her 15-year rule. Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has said he inherited a "completely broken down" system of public administration. Yunus previously pledged to unveil a "big package" to overhaul democratic institutions. But efforts to reach agreements have made slow progress as political parties jostle for power ahead of elections, slated for early 2026. Yunus's government has warned that political power struggles risk jeopardising the gains that have been made. On July 29, Yunus said he was working to "build a broad national consensus around a renewed political system - one that delivers inclusive, participatory, and credible elections". Yunus's office said on Saturday that the "July Proclamation" would be "presented to the nation in the presence of all political parties involved in the mass uprising". Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Her government was also accused of politicising courts and the civil service, staging lopsided elections and dismantling democratic checks on its power. Hasina, 77, fled to India, where she has defied court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity. Protests began on July 1, 2024, with university students calling for reforms to a quota system for public sector jobs. They culminated on August 5, 2024, when thousands of protesters stormed Hasina's palace as she escaped by helicopter.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Bangladesh to unveil democratic reforms on coup anniversary
Protests in Bangladesh began on July 1, 2024, with university students calling for reforms to a quota system for public sector jobs. PHOTO: AFP Listen to article Bangladesh's interim government said Saturday it will release its slate of democratic overhauls on August 5, the one-year anniversary of the overthrow of the previous autocratic administration. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, ending her 15-year rule. Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has said he inherited a "completely broken down" system of public administration. Yunus previously pledged to unveil a "big package" to overhaul democratic institutions. But efforts to reach agreements have made slow progress as political parties jostle for power ahead of elections, slated for early 2026. Yunus's government has warned that political power struggles risk jeopardising the gains that have been made. Read More: ICCI urges Bangladeshi firms to invest in Pakistan On July 29, Yunus said he was working to "build a broad national consensus around a renewed political system -- one that delivers inclusive, participatory, and credible elections". Yunus's office said Saturday that the "July Proclamation" would be "presented to the nation... in the presence of all political parties involved in the mass uprising". Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Her government was also accused of politicising courts and the civil service, staging lopsided elections and dismantling democratic checks on its power. Hasina, 77, fled to India, where she has defied court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity. Protests began on July 1, 2024, with university students calling for reforms to a quota system for public sector jobs. They culminated on August 5, 2024, when thousands of protesters stormed Hasina's palace as she escaped by helicopter.
