The Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Water Resources Syeda Rizwana Hasan today (September 21) stressed that freedom, especially the freedom to access justice in a timely manner, should not be taken for granted.
Now that people “were finally able to talk,” she urged them to be constructive, define their focus and listen to each other.
“The path to reform was the path to the realization of their dreams,” she said during a dialogue moderated by Zillur Rahman, executive director of CGS.
Rizwana Hasan expressed her gratitude for the many faces who joined during the protest.
She acknowledged that others suffered more than she did.
For her, justice was for her family to be returned to her, because asking for more at that moment seemed impossible.
“Public support has taught me that doing the right thing pays off in the end. A fascist regime does not become fascist in isolation; it corrupts the justice system, the media, civil society and other institutions,” the adviser said.
Even if laws are changed, those who enforce them often still support the regime, she said.
Her personal dreams included independence – personal, occupational and national.
The Center for Governance Studies (CGS) hosted the dialogue today at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium.
The dialogue featured guests who spoke about the oppression of the past regime and faced challenges because of their actions.
Prominent individuals from all walks of life shared the many ways they suffered and were discriminated against under the previous regime.
Speakers also focused on the kind of changes and reforms they would like to see in Bangladesh’s future, expressing general concern about the government’s apparent inaction on recent societal unrest.
A need for more transparency from the caretaker government and a more inclusive approach emerged in the discussion.
Zillur began by stating that for 15 years, people have fought for their dreams, often doubting that they could be achieved.
“Many have sacrificed their lives for these dreams. In the last 15 years, all national institutions have been destroyed and corruption has become endemic,” he said.
“Many resisted the tyranny of authoritarianism within the country and suffered as a result. Among those gathered today were individuals who fought and suffered. However, the struggle was far from over,” he added.
Munira Khan said the government needs to be more transparent and spend time on proper planning.
Their spokespersons should communicate their activities and progress. She expressed hope that the interim government would hold free and fair elections.
Kazi Faisal Bin Seraj observed that shrinking civic space creates an information vacuum, making non-traditional media more important.
He noted that when he started working in Bangladesh, the economy narrative was strong, but now there were questions about why NGOs and CSOs were not doing enough.
He emphasized that it is essential to understand the restrictive legal environment they face.
Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Electoral System Reform Commission Chief and Secretary of SHUJAN, emphasized that the citizens must seize the opportunity before them.
He emphasized the importance of everyone playing their part, otherwise the dream, spirit and expectations would remain incomplete. He shared that he and his family were discriminated against under both the Awami League and BNP governments.
Despite this, he believed that today represented an amazing opportunity and emphasized the importance of unity, checks and balances to prevent abuse of power.
Advocate Andaleeve Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party, emphasized the need for good people in politics.
He warned that if corrupt individuals enter politics, it would ruin any system.
He called for reforms that would allow good people to enter politics, noting that politicians were no longer seen as heroes.
Although he was optimistic about the media, he believed that the current government’s connection with the people was weak and that it needed to implement the reforms demanded by the public.
Didar Islam Bhuiyan, a member of the DSA Victims Network, recounted how he was picked up after posting on social media about irregularities in relief measures during the COVID-19 lockdown.
He was questioned for seven hours, accused of being a traitor and conspirator without evidence. He questioned why the DSA cases have not yet been dropped, arguing that these “black laws” used to suppress people should be consigned to a museum.
Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Ganosanghati Andolan, discussed how the quota movement has evolved into a single-point demand due to over a decade of struggle.
He emphasized that the political forces involved in the uprising must be taken into account in the current process. Fascist forces were still active.
He shared that during a July 19 rally protesting the death of students, police force was used against them in unprecedented ways.
He himself was injured in a baton charge, later beaten up on the street by members of the Chhatra League after being taken away from the hospital.
Nurul Haque Nur, president of Gono Odhikar Parishad, said that he has been blacklisted from television for a long time along with others like Asif Nazrul and Nurul Kabir. The agencies warned him that they would monitor his movements and even threaten him with attacks if he went anywhere without their consent, which eventually materialized.
He spoke of the oppression and suppression witnessed under several governments and expressed hope for genuine reform under the current caretaker government.
However, he criticized the government for operating in an exclusive manner, failing to consult with political parties, the main stakeholders in the nation’s governance.
Jatiya Nagorik Committee member Pritom Das shared his experience of being falsely accused of offending religious sentiments.
He was later arrested for his political activism and social media posts, spending five months in prison. He narrated how communal violence in the region targeted him, leading to social isolation as even friends and relatives stopped contacting him.
Rezaul Karim Rony, the editor of Joban magazine, highlighted the unrest in both the hills and the plains, pointing out that many people were still behaving like fascists after living so long under fascism.
He demanded true independence for the people and questioned what kind of independence they really sought. He shared his disillusionment with the mainstream media, recounting an experience where he translated a significant report against a former prime minister, only to find that no one else in the media dared to publish it.
Major Rezaul Karim, a former military officer who was released on political grounds, shared his experience during the BDR killings when he was stationed at RAB.
He and his comrades were denied permission to act and were subsequently branded as terrorists, blindfolded and interrogated. He spent five years in prison and emphasized that injustice was done against him.
Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, professor and political analyst, reflected on the atmosphere of fear and self-censorship in society.
He recounted that even he avoided directly naming members of the ruling family in his public speeches. He pointed out that the fear, while justified, had often been exaggerated.
Masood Kamal, a senior journalist, humbly admitted that he simply continued to do the journalism he had always known. He noted that he never thought the media would be as free as it is now and expressed hope that the government would listen to constructive criticism.
Michael Chakma, an organizer of the United People’s Democratic Front, said he was kept in the dark for five years after his abduction.
He emphasized the inhumanity of the treatment he endured and questioned whether his crime spoke for the political rights of his people.
He called for a solution in the hill areas that does not involve military rule.
U Mimi Marma, special correspondent for IPNEWS BD, spoke from her perspective as a student and an indigenous person.
She highlighted the ongoing violence and lack of justice for indigenous people, especially in the Khagrachari region, and expressed her frustration along with the hope that justice will come in a new Bangladesh.
Kalpana Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Workers’ Solidarity Center, shared how her work fighting for workers’ rights was often suppressed, leading to surveillance, interrogation and being labeled as a foreign agent.
She urged journalists to pursue the truth, even if it is difficult.
Qadaruddin Shishir, fact-checking editor for AFP in Bangladesh, said the biggest misinformation he encountered came from the state itself.
Despite attempts by powerful individuals to co-opt him, he remained steadfast in his journalistic integrity and shared his dream of seeing truly independent media in Bangladesh.
Khadijatul Kubra, a student at Jagannath University, described her experience of being arrested under the DSA, which interrupted her education and life for a long time. Now that he could finally speak again, he expressed his desire to work with others who have faced discrimination.
Umama Fatema, coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, credited the people of Bangladesh for toppling the Sheikh Hasina regime and spoke of the sense of empowerment and ownership the female students experienced during the protests.
Mamun Abdullah, Liaison Coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, recounted that he could not stay in the university dormitories because of the pressure and surveillance of the Chhatra League.
He expressed disappointment at the lack of consensus on human dignity in the nation and warned that the revolutionary spirit of the mass uprising in 2024 may not resurface unless real reforms are implemented.
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