The mass uprising that ousted the Awami League government in August 2024 is a continuation of the aspirations of the 1971 Liberation War, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said on Friday.
In a post on his verified Facebook page, Nahid said the current generation has moved on from 1971 and those who seek to revive the politics of "for or against 1971" want to drag the country back to an outdated political framework.
"The aspirations of '71—equity, dignity, and justice—were reaffirmed through the anti-discriminatory and democratic uprising of '24. While Mujibism tried to insert '71 into an Indian narrative, thereby compromising our national sovereignty and interest, '24 reclaimed the true spirit of independence, sovereignty, and the Liberation War. It was a united fight against authoritarianism, fascism, and domination—driven by the hope of a democratic and egalitarian Bangladesh," the post read.
"After '24, a new political reality and a new generation of people emerged—those who participated in and won the battle of '24. We have crossed over from '71 and arrived in '24."
Nahid was one of the leading figures in the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement in July and August 2024 that spearheaded the mass uprising which eventually led to the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government.
Before that, the state's crackdown on protesters and the general people left at least 1,400 dead and thousands more injured, according to the UN.
"... we wanted a new start from '24—one that would build a new political culture based on the values and aspirations born out of the uprising.
"Defeating Mujibism and all other forms of authoritarian and fascist forces is our responsibility to unify and democratize the state and society.
"This generation has already moved beyond '71," Nahid, who served in the post-uprising interim government as an adviser before quitting his post to form the National Citizen Party, said in the post.
'Politics must now be based on the values of '24'
He further said that in the post-uprising Bangladesh, no one is willing to accept the politics built around the binary of being pro- or anti-liberation, and that those who want to return to that framework were denying "the new political reality of '24"
" '71 will remain in history—as a foundation of the state, a principle to be respected—but it will no longer dominate political legitimacy. '47 [Partition and independence from British rule] will be remembered similarly, with historical reverence, but not as a tool for political manipulation.
This doesn't mean we won't discuss or debate those events—rather, in this new political reality, we can finally resolve our historical questions.
Politics must now be based on the values of '24."
He said the uprising of 2024 was never about revenge, and that the post-uprising era was a space for national unity and reconciliation.
"Its spirit lies in building the future—a future that must be shaped through consensus, compassion, and collective responsibility, not through cycles of retribution."
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