DHAKA, Dec 31, 2024 (BSS) - Leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and Jatiya Nagorik Committee today urged the government to declare the proclamation of the July revolution by January 15 and conduct trial of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in shortest possible time.
 
From the 'March for Unity' programme held at the central Shaheed Minar, the student leaders also urged the government to ensure trial of Pilkhana and Shapla Chattar killings, ensuring safety of the student-people involved in the July mass uprising as well as bringing down the commodity prices to a tolerable level, breaking syndicates.
 
Responding to the call of movement leaders, people who came from different parts of the country since the morning were seen marching towards Shaheed Minar with processions chanting slogans and expressing their determination to uphold the spirit of the July-August revolution.
 
Jatiya Nagorik Committee convener Nasiruddin Patwary said, "We will not accept the proclamation if it doesn't reflect the pledges of the blood of the heroes who embraced martyrdom in 1971, 1990, and 2024. It must be based on justice and fairness as well as containing the speeches of people who lost their eyesight or got crippled". 
 
Nasir added, "The proclamation should indicate the reform of the institutions that have collapsed in the last 53 years. We do not want a knee-jerk foreign policy. Bangladesh has become independent again in 2024. We want to see a new Bangladesh on the world stage".
 
"The trial of Shapla Chattar and Pilkhana massacres must be completed immediately. All crimes of the Awami League in the last 16 years must be tried, and the proclamation of the July revolution must be declared by January 15", said Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
 
Hasnat added, "Students involved in the revolution are being attacked in different places and victimized by target killing. The government must ensure their safety."
 
He also urged the government to bring down the price of essentials to a tolerable level by breaking the syndicates, saying, "Hands have been changed, but market syndicates, responsible for price hiking, still exist."
 
While addressing, Jatiya Nagorik committee member secretary Akhtar Hossain said the next elected government would write the new constitution. "There will be a Constituent Assembly [Gono Parishad]. They will draft the charter and give the final approval", he said.
 
"There will be a Constituent Assembly [Gono Parishad]. They will draft the charter and give the final approval", Akhter added.
 
Anti-Discrimination Student Movement chief organizer Sarjis Alam said, "The murderers and their accomplices are roaming around in front of our eyes. We want to urge the interim government to bring all the culprits to book immediately".

"If we cannot ensure justice for the blood of our martyred brothers, we will never be able to forgive ourselves," he added.

Sarjis said, "We want freedom from syndicates. We want the return of the smuggled money. We want the prices of goods to be within our capacity. We also want proper treatment for the injured".

"The proclamation of the July revolution must be announced by January 15. Otherwise, the students will take to the streets again like they did on August 5," said Jatiya Nagorik committee spokesperson Samantha Sharmin. 

Later, she called upon the students not to leave the streets until the aspired reforms and justice are ensured as dreamt by the martyrs and injured of the July-August mass uprising.
 
Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Spokesperson Umama Fatima said, "There will be no election before reforms. We have seen that no solution came from the table of discussion. The only way to bring a solution is nothing but the streets".
 
If everything can be resolved from the table of discussion or negotiation, the drive of forming a new Bangladesh would have been successful already, she added. 
 
On December 29, the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Students' Movement announced a programme named 'Declaration of July Proclamation,' acknowledging the July movement at the Central Shaheed Minar on December 31 at 3 pm.
 
The Jatiya Nagorik Committee immediately supported the program and intended to join the program with extending their full support and cooperation.
 
Later, around 12:40 am on Tuesday, the organisers changed the program and announced the 'March for Unity' programme.