July Uprising and People’s March for Justice

July Uprising started mainly as a student movement. But gradually, it turned into a movement of the masses. If you ask me what this movement was for, I would say it was actually a movement against injustice, and it was, in fact, a movement for justice. Now let us ponder how this movement began and what actually motivated people from all walks of life to join it.

A brief background of the movement is necessary here. It was July 2024. The High Court decided to reinstate the 30% quota advantage for the children of the Freedom Fighters in first- and second-class government jobs on 5 June. This decision really shocked the students, especially the country’s overwhelming number of unemployed graduates, for whom their merit and hard work were the only means to get a job. They found this decision unjust and strongly objected to it, as this system would largely shrink opportunities for general students. They started staging peaceful protests against it in the capital and other districts, demanding a reform of the quota system on a reasonable basis. Previously, in 2018, students protested against the same system. At that time, the Awami League government responded positively and abolished the quota. But this time, although students upheld the same demand, the government ignored it and instead used force to quell the protests. Tragically, the police fired bullets at the protesters, killing and injuring many. The killing of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayed on 16 July triggered widespread public rage against the Awami League government. The protest against injustice in government job recruitment encouraged others to protest against  every type of injustice the countrymen had been bearing during the 16-year tenure of the Awami League government.

Political parties wanted justice in the country’s political field, an end to undemocratic rule. Undeniably, the Awami League came to power in 2008 through a genuine election. But later, their ambition to stick to power by hook or by crook actually intoxicated them and misled them from the path of democracy. And their plan to abolish the caretaker government through the 15th Amendment of the Constitution and hold dubious elections under their own government was like Macbeth’s plan to kill King Duncan and become the King of Scotland himself. Macbeth certainly became the king but soon met his ultimate doom. And the Awami League government met its tragic fall on 5 August in almost a similar manner. People and their leaders made a collective effort to fight against injustice. They overthrew the unjust regime and brought the country back to the path of justice again. They held a justified general election with the spontaneous participation of political parties and elected a leader who deserved this position. They have got justice to a considerable extent. Political parties can now exercise their rights to hold political meetings, people can vote without fear, and attend rallies and express their opinions as much as the country’s Constitution and laws allow them to do.
Students demanded justice in the job sector. The dream that students saw has also come true, you can say, to a considerable extent. The previous quota system in government jobs has been reformed on a reasonable basis. Now, there is still a quota, but that is not anything that can be objected to. Currently, 93% of first- and second-class government job recruitment is based on merit, and the remaining 7% is reserved for descendants of freedom fighters, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and third-gender individuals. In fact, that is the equal opportunity that the state should have offered, which will actually contribute to the progress of the nation.

We have said that people longed for economic justice. In this case, people’s expectations have actually been partly fulfilled and partly remained unfulfilled. The Awami League government allowed corruption to germinate in every sector. In the meantime, individuals like Benazir Ahmed and Motiur Rahman reportedly fattened their bellies by devouring taxpayers’ hard-earned money. Undeniably, the Awami League government intended good for the people when it showed the courage to establish the metro rail and the Padma Bridge. But its widespread mismanagement and corruption overshadowed its good works. It forgot to check corruption and maintain a balance between people’s basic needs and the government’s ambitions.

People expelled the corrupt government, but surely, the deep wound it had caused to the country’s economy and banking sector by that time is not easy to heal. Inflationary pressure is still bending the backs of low- and middle-income people. Essential food items like meat, fish and edible oil are still not easy for many people to afford. It will surely take time to recover from this economic setback. And the present government should work sincerely for that. Making common people’s lives easier and creating employment opportunities should be its priority. It must neither indulge in nor tolerate any corruption anywhere. And people should also demonstrate patience and work sincerely from their respective positions to see the economic justice established in the country for which they fought and sacrificed blood.
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The writer is a Sub-Editor at the Daily Sun