Desk Report,
People with diverse interests must move forward together.
Although the Awami League government was changed in the July mass uprising at the cost of much blood, the aspirations have not been realized. Democracy has not yet been established in the country. We need to reduce the distance by talking to each other; so that people of different interests can join hands and move forward.
People with diverse interests must move forward together.
This was stated by the speakers at the graffiti exhibition and exchange meeting titled ‘Gen-G’s Expectations and Achievements: Graffiti in the Shadow of July 36’ at the National Press Club on Saturday. The event was organized by the Policy Research Center. The organizers said that the organization was established in 2004.
Supreme Court lawyer Manzoor Al Matin was the main discussant at the exchange meeting. He said, women know that they can come out. Madrasa students know that they can come out on the streets. Let this coming out be for a good purpose. So that the interests of different types of people, whatever is common among them, can be agreed upon and move forward. Then change will come, not in a bloodbath like in July. Stating that the death of 1,400 people in the July uprising is not desirable, Manzoor Al Matin said, if this keeps happening again and again, it is not good for a country. Therefore, efforts must be made to bridge the distance between ourselves through talks. This wall of hostility that has been built over the years cannot be completely destroyed, but at least its height must be reduced. We can move forward by finding common ground. He hopes that people with different interests can at least move forward hand in hand in Bangladesh.
Journalist and researcher Mohammad Mahmuduzzaman has taken photos of more than 10,000 graffiti painted on walls in different parts of the country. He presented those graffiti at this event. Mahmuduzzaman believes that Zen-Ji are a neglected generation. Corona has wasted two years of their lives. Many do not have two years of college life. There are various negative things about this generation. It was common knowledge that they are irritable, don’t mix with anyone, aren’t patriotic, don’t feel for anyone, etc. All of this is actually false.
While explaining a graffiti in Barisal, Mahmuduzzaman said that this generation thinks that a new Bangladesh was born on July 36. That is, Bangladesh was born anew. They hope that Bangladesh will be a paradise. He believes that Bangladesh will one day rise up because of them.
Stating that the graffiti drawn by students during and after the mass uprising has started to be destroyed, Mahmuduzzaman said that the government should protect at least the graffiti in the Dhaka University area.
The exchange of views was moderated by Shakil Ahmed, CEO of the Policy Research Center. In his written speech, he said that this generation is ready to accept policy proposals. They need to be given a platform.
In his closing speech, Khan Sharifuzzaman, a research fellow at the Policy Research Center, said that there have been several mass uprisings in the country. He raised the question of whether the people of this country will continue to hold mass uprisings every few years.
Khan Sharifuzzaman said that the country’s political parties are heavily controlled by external forces. Many people question whether politics actually belongs to the people of the country. Earlier, ‘A’ superpower used to control it. Now it has gone to a ‘B’ superpower. The new generation needs to think about this issue. If we want to get the happiness of real freedom and independence, we definitely need a new system, new ideology and new system.
‘Only the driver of the car has changed’
Students from various educational institutions also spoke at the event. Among them, Rinvi Mosharraf of the Department of Public Administration of Dhaka University was the coordinator of the first committee of the anti-discrimination student movement. He complained that the anti-discrimination student movement has become one-sided, which cannot represent everyone. Mosharraf said that the aspirations with which he came to the movement are not being reflected.
Mortuza Meem, a student of the Department of Government and Politics at Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology, said, “People wanted a democratic system. Even though democracy is spoken of, it is not being achieved. Only the driver of the car has changed.”
Another student of the same university, Miraj Hasan, said, “A new government has come; political ideas, changes – nothing has happened.”
Another student, Md. Mehedi Hasan, said that he lost a childhood friend in the mass uprising. He thought that the country would develop and get a democratic government after the fall of the Awami League government. But he alleged that it has not been achieved yet.
Other speakers included Tanzia Shishir, a student of Moulvibazar Government College, and Mir Nizam Ahmed, a student of the same college.
