July Declaration unveiled on first anniversary of 2024 mass uprising

On the first anniversary of the historic mass uprising that ousted the long-ruling regime of Sheikh Hasina, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus unveiled the July Declaration on Tuesday to encapsulate the collective aspirations of the people of Bangladesh.

The declaration, hailed as a document for rebuilding the nation’s democratic future, reflects the spirit of the student-led revolution and calls for justice, accountability, and far-reaching reforms to rebuild the state on the foundation of the rule of law, equality, and good governance.

The declaration traces the roots of the 2024 uprising to the long-standing grievances accumulated under successive authoritarian episodes since independence. It references key milestones in Bangladesh’s political evolution—from the 1971 Liberation War and the failure of post-independence constitutionalism to the one-party BAKSAL system and the democratic reawakening in 1991. The declaration sharply criticises the subsequent derailment of democracy, especially during the 16-year rule of Sheikh Hasina, marked by “rampant corruption, political suppression, and a dismantling of state institutions.”

According to the declaration, the Hasina regime engineered three “farcical elections” in 2014, 2018, and 2024 to perpetuate its grip on power, depriving citizens of their constitutional right to vote and fair representation. It highlights the extensive use of state machinery to suppress dissent, including extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and politically motivated detentions.

“Every section of society—students, workers, professionals, and the political opposition—suffered oppression,” reads the document. “The regime’s partisan control over public employment through a quota system, discriminatory governance, and foreign subservience provoked widespread anger.”

The tipping point came with the anti-discrimination student movement, initially sparked by calls to abolish the quota-based recruitment system in public service. The movement rapidly evolved into a mass uprising, culminating in a nationwide non-cooperation campaign and a march to Dhaka on August 5, 2024. In the face of the overwhelming public mobilisation and final-stage support from segments of the armed forces, Sheikh Hasina fled the country, ending her 16-year rule.

In the wake of the regime’s collapse, the 12th National Parliament—elected through the disputed 2024 polls—was dissolved. An interim government was constitutionally formed on August 8, 2024, led by Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, pursuant to Article 106 of the Constitution and under Supreme Court guidance.

“The people’s trust in the democratic transition and the legitimacy of the uprising has been affirmed both nationally and internationally,” the declaration asserts.

It also acknowledges the role of student movements, political parties, civil society, and the general public in achieving what it describes as a “victory against fascism, corruption, and foreign subservience.”

The declaration calls for the incorporation of the July Declaration into the schedule of a reformed constitution, to be drafted by a future elected government. It envisions a democratic state free from the shackles of authoritarianism and inequality—a society that respects human dignity, moral values, and the aspirations of its youth.

“The people of Bangladesh hereby express their determination to defend their hard-won democratic gains and ensure that no force shall again rise to subvert their sovereign will,” the document concludes.

Leaders from different political parties were present at the event held at the South Plaza of the National Parliament.

The rest of the text of the ‘July Declaration’ is given below:

1. Whereas, in continuation of the historical struggle against colonialism, the people of this land rose against the deprivation and exploitation inflicted by the authoritarian Pakistani regime and established the state of Bangladesh through a bloody liberation war following the Declaration of Independence made on 26 March, 1971, for achieving freedom;

And

2. Whereas, the people of Bangladesh made the utmost sacrifice through a long struggle to materialise a liberal democratic state in this land based on equality, human dignity and social justice as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence;

And

3. Whereas, the post-independence Awami League government failed to materialise the people’s aspirations because of the weaknesses in the procedures of drafting and in the structure of the constitution along with its inappropriate application;

And

4. Whereas, the post-independence Awami League government established constitutionally a one-party government named BAKSAL in place of a democratic order, the much-aspired-to goal of independence, and thereby took away the freedom of expression and of the judiciary, in reaction to which, on November 7, 1975, there was an uprising in the army ranks and file joined by common people, and later the way was laid for reintroducing multi-party democracy, freedom of expression and the freedom of the judiciary in place of the BAKSAL system.

And

5. Whereas, in the 1980s, there was a long nine-year relentless struggle against an autocratic military regime resulting in the mass uprising of 1990, and a parliamentary democratic system was re-established in 1991;

And

6. Whereas, the democratic way of regime change was disrupted through domestic and external intrigues, thus laying the way in Bangladesh for the paramount power, domination and fascism of Sheikh Hasina through the conspiratorial arrangement of so-called 1/11;

And

7. Whereas, illicit and undemocratic changes were made in the constitution, driven by an extremely fierce desire to establish a one-party state along with a fascist, undemocratic and anti-people governance system during the last sixteen-year-long period.

And

8. Whereas, all state and constitutional institutions were destroyed by the last Awami League regime of Sheikh Hasina through governance malfeasance, abduction and murder, unlawful killings, suppression of freedom of speech and constitutional changes in the interest of the ruling party;

And

9. Whereas, during the rule of Sheikh Hasina, under her very leadership, an extreme force that was anti-people, autocratic and against human rights turned Bangladesh into a fascist, mafia and failed state and thereby tarnished Bangladesh’s international image;

And

10. Whereas, in the name of so-called development, the fallen Awami League government under the fascist leadership of Sheikh Hasina jeopardised the immense economic prospects of Bangladesh through rampant corruption, looting of banks, fund transfers abroad by money laundering, and also pursued policies adversely affecting the environment, ecology and climate;

And

11. Whereas, all sections of the society, including political parties, student and labour organisations, continuously became victims of imprisonment and torture, indictment and assault, murder by abduction and unlawful killings during almost the last sixteen years because of their democratic opposition to Sheikh Hasina’s fascist government;

And

12. Whereas, the Awami League government, loyal to external forces, applied brutal force to suppress people’s rightful protests against foreign tutelage, exploitation and domination;

And

13. Whereas, the Awami League government held three farcical elections (the National Assembly elections of 2014, 2018 and 2024) in order to continue to cling to power illegally, thereby depriving the people of this country from exercising their right to vote and representation;

And

14. Whereas, during the regime of the Awami League, dissenting political workers and leaders, students, and the youth were subjected to brutal oppression, and extreme resentment was created among students, citizens and the job-seekers because of wholesale partisanship and quota-based discrimination in the government job appointments;

And

15. Whereas, public anger was generated for long due to extreme oppression against opposition political parties and organisations, and the people continued their anti-fascist struggle in lawful ways;

And

16. Whereas, widespread suppression and coercion and savage tyranny were applied by the Awami League government during the anti-discrimination student movement launched to demand the abolition of the discriminatory quota system in the recruitment for government jobs and to protest against exploitation and corruption, and as a result, the tumultuous mass movement of students and people turned into an uprising;

And

17. Whereas, political parties along with religious, social, cultural, professional and labour organisations and people from all social strata, joined the irrepressible uprising of students and people, and the Awami fascist forces indiscriminately killed nearly one thousand people, including women and children; numerous people were crippled or lost eyesight, and the armed forces gave support to the movement at its final stage;

And

18. Whereas, people started a non-cooperation campaign at the call of the anti-discrimination student movement launched for bringing down the illegal government of Sheikh Hasina and for ushering in a new democratic arrangement in place of the fascist regime, and a long march to Dhaka took place on the 5th of August, and fascist Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee from the country on August 5, 2024 in the face of the march towards Gonobhabon in the penultimate stage of the massive movement joined by all anti-fascist forces, including political parties, students, and people in general from all walks of life;

And

19. Whereas, the trust of the people in their sovereignty and in its application as expressed by the mass uprising for addressing the political and constitutional crisis in Bangladesh is justified, legitimate and internationally recognised;

And

20. Whereas, the illegitimate twelfth National Assembly was dissolved and an interim government was formed constitutionally under the leadership of Dr Muhammad Yunus on August 8, 2024, under Article 106 of the constitution and in light of the opinion given by the Supreme Court;

And

21. Whereas, the desire for rebuilding the state and society free from fascism, inequality and corruption was expressed by the uprising of the students and people in general and by the strong anti-fascist aspirations of every section of the people of Bangladesh;

And

22. Therefore, the people of Bangladesh express their desire for ensuring good governance and fair elections, the rule of law and economic and social justice, and for introducing lawfully democratic reforms for all state and constitutional institutions;

And

23. Therefore, the people of Bangladesh express a strong desire to bring under trial crimes involving all kinds of oppression, violence and looting of state property and also crimes of enforced disappearance and murder, individual and mass killings, and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the fascist Awami League government during the sixteen-year-long anti-fascist agitation of the people of Bangladesh and during the July mass uprising of 2024.

And

24. Therefore, the people of Bangladesh express their desire to recognise the martyrs of the July uprising as national heroes and provide necessary legal protection to the students and people participating in the movement;

And

25. Therefore, the people of Bangladesh express their aspirations for establishing a society and a democratic state system that upholds the rule of law and human rights and moral values and is free from corruption and exploitation;

And

26. Therefore, the people of Bangladesh express their expectations to protect the rights of the present and the future generations through an environment-friendly, climate-resilient, sustainable and inclusive development strategy;

And

27. Therefore, the people of Bangladesh express their desire that the student-people uprising of 2024 will get proper state and constitutional recognition and that the July declaration will feature in the schedule of the reformed constitution as framed by the government formed through the next national election.

And

28. This document of declaration is written to reflect the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh at the event of the victory in the mass uprising of August 5, 2024.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com