July Martyrs’ Day was observed across the country on Wednesday (July 16). The day marked the first death anniversary of Abu Sayeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur.
He was the first martyr of the July Movement. On this day, five other people were also killed, including two youths in Dhaka, two students and a pedestrian in Chittagong.
It can be said without hesitation that the death of Abu Sayeed in police firing was the turning point of the July Movement.
During the complete shutdown program on July 16 last year, Abu Sayeed tried to resist the police attack with a stick in his hand.
At that moment, the police shot him at close range and he fell down within a moment.
As the video of Abu Sayeed being shot in front of the university went on viral, students and the public became outraged. From that day on, the movement spread rapidly across the country.
The following day, a complete shutdown called by the protesters was observed across the country.
This resulted in the fall of the authoritarian Hasina government on August 5. In this context, the interim government declared July 16 as ‘July Martyrs’ Day’ every year.
A year after the coup, the question that naturally arises in the public mind is, how many days are left to reach the goal that this coup was intended to achieve in July? How much more distance do the people have to travel? In fact, the main goal of the July coup was to restore democracy in the country.
After the coup, people became very optimistic – democracy would be established in the country, all kinds of irregularities, anarchy, and corruption would end, they will regain their security of life, freedom of expression, and other just rights.
Meanwhile, various reform commissions have submitted their recommendations.
Since implementation of the reform process is time-consuming, the current interim government may be able to start this work and take it forward a little. A democratic government will have to complete it.
We expect the government formed through elections will consolidate the foundation of democracy in the country through appropriate reforms, so that dictatorship will never arise in the country again.
At the same time, those who were involved in various crimes including murders in the resistance to the July Movement must be brought to justice.
In fact, the sooner the goal of the July Uprising is achieved, the better for the countrymen.
