BNP’s long struggle for democracy led to July uprising: Newaz

State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam said on Wednesday that the July uprising did not emerge out of nowhere; rather, it was the outcome of the BNP’s long-standing struggle against authoritarian rule.

In an interview with the Daily Sun, Newaz said, “As a democratic political party, the BNP played a glorious role in movements to restore democracy, particularly during the struggle against the military rule of HM Ershad.

“The BNP also remained at the forefront of the movement against the Sheikh Hasina government and played a crucial role in the long struggle that eventually led to the July mass uprising.”

Newaz said, “The July mass uprising did not fall from the sky or come out of thin air. It had a background, a reality and a long process behind it, and the BNP was deeply connected to all of them.”

He said the late BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, along with party leaders and activists at all levels, had faced repression, arrests and various forms of harassment throughout the movement.

“Many BNP leaders and activists lost their lives, while many others were subjected to enforced disappearance during the party’s long struggle,” the state minister said.

He said the BNP had waged a difficult and prolonged movement, from which the July mass uprising emerged with the active participation of the party’s leaders and activists.

“The July mass uprising was made possible through the active participation of BNP leaders and activists across the country,” he added.

“The BNP’s contribution to the movement and the events leading to the July mass uprising should be recognised in the context of the country’s long struggle for democracy,” he said.