DHAKA, Feb 7, 2025 (BSS) - Writer and poet Mahbub Morshed today said if the Awami League and its allies try to regain power, the country will face a major crisis as the students and the people will not let their sacrifice go in vain.

“We will have to find out the answer to the question of what change the students and the people sacrificed their lives, otherwise it will be a big mistake," he said.

Mahbub Morshed, also Managing Director and Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), was speaking as the chief guest at the ‘Voice of the Mass Uprising: July 36th poetry reading event, organized by the Sangskritik Andolon at the Bangla Motor Regional Public Administration Training Center in the capital today.

"We must be vigilant so that the sacrifice of the July mass uprising does not go in vain in any way," he said.

The programme began with the recitation of the poem 'Bidrohi' by National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. The poem was recited by Iqbal Ahmed. The programme was presided over by poet and editor of Daily Jugantor Abdul Hai Sikder.

Columnist Engineer AKM Rezaul Karim, writer and assistant editor of Daily Samakal Ehsan Mahmud, member secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Arif Sohel also spoke while Bangladesh Sangskritik Andolon’s  Sanaullah Sagar gave welcome address.

The covers of 7 books related to July uprising were unveiled at the event.

Among the books are Farid Ahmed Roni's book 'Atto Nibedan' about the martyrs of July, Poliyar Wahid's 'Guli o Gaddar' containing poems on the mass uprising, July uprising warrior Quader Mazhar's 'Karagarer Smritikotha', GM Rajib Hossain's 'Droher Graffiti' and Enamul Haque Palash's 'Palayaner Age'. Apart from these, there are poetry books by Ferdous Mahmud and Naqib Mukherjee.
Mahbub Morshed said, "We will have to unite to resist the narrative of Awami League and the narrative of Indian hegemony. Otherwise, the July Revolution will not be successful."

He said, “For 15 and a half years, the authoritarian fascist ruler had been sitting on our necks like the ghost of Sindabad. That ruler had prepared all the ways to perpetuate their power, he added.

There have been many movements and struggles to overthrow the fascist ruler, he said, adding that but they were not successful for various reasons.

"The last July student uprising was successful. Because people from all walks of life in the country believed that the students wanted to overthrow the authoritarian government with their lives," he said.

He also said, everyone contributed to the July uprising. Otherwise, such a big event would not have happened, he said, adding that along with the mass upsurge of 1969, anti-autocratic movement of 1990, there were some major movements in the history of Bangladesh in the last 15 years, but such a huge number of people have never been injured or killed that had taken place in such a short movement of the July Uprising. In fact, people participated spontaneously in this movement, he added.

He said that a certain type of situation has been created in the country in the last three-four days. Because Awami League had recently carried out a massive campaign, especially in various Indian media . . .  a coordinated false campaign against the interim government, he said, adding that the Indian media made a statement that the current government should step down through quick elections and it was spread through various media and social media in Bangladesh.

It was propagated that the current government is not in power, the advisers have fled, Awami League leaders and workers carried out a massive campaign.

"In addition, it was propagated that Sheikh Hasina would give a speech. Awami cultural organizations became active around the dustbin issue at the book fair and they tried to create a movement around it. The common people, including students and the public, became worried about all these issues because they want the sacrifices of July not to go in vain in any way. These fears created anger among the students and the public," he said.

He also said that it would be very difficult for the students to move away from self-sacrifice. Addressing the poets, he said that poetry creates a clear way of speaking. To face the crisis, every poet and writer must protest injustice from their own position, he added.

In the first part, poems were recited by Chanchal Bashar, Faruk Wasif, Junnu Rain, Ibrahim Nirab and Shadman Shahid. Then, artiste Razia Sultana Ishita recited poems by Sanaullah Sagar. In the second part, poems were recited by Mainul Islam Manik, Ashiq Bin Rahim, Nahida Ashrafi, Mamun Azad, Rudraksh Raihan, Ridwan Nomani. In addition, Ahmed Ishaq recited anti-fascist poems and Lutfar Hasan Rumi recited poems by Naqib Mukshi.

Poet and economic analyst Shams Arefin spoke about the language of poetry and popular poetry in the July Revolution. In the third episode, poems were recited by Simanto Helal, Mohammad Jasim, Bohni Kusum, Raja Abul Kamal Azad, Arbak Aditya, and Mansur Aziz.

In this episode, lyricist Mohsin Ahmed spoke about the role of songs in the uprising, and Tariqul Fahim recited poems by Poliyar Wahid. Poet Naqib Mukshi spoke about the role of social media in the mass uprising.

In the fourth episode, poems were recited by Muhim Mahfuz, Enamul Haque Palash, Hasan Mahadi, Misir Hasnain, and Ahmed Swapan Mahmud. In this episode, Zulfikar Shahdat recited poems demanding justice for the murderer Hasina. In the fifth episode, Masum Munwar, Sajjad Saif, Sultan Sanal, Muhibur Rahman, Musa Al Hafiz, Hasan Jamil recited poems. In this episode, the story of the martyr and the injured family was told by the special cell head and writer of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Hasan Inam.

In the sixth episode, poems were read by Ehsan Habib, Sayeed Islam, Mohiuddin Mohammad, Sakhawat Tipu, Ferdous Mahmud. In this episode, Nusrat Noor narrated the story of standing on the road.

In the seventh episode, poems were read by Iftekhar Aesop, Nazrul Mohammad, Arbak Aditya, Munirul Islam; Farid Ahmed Rony, author of the book 'July's Sacrifice', spoke about the martyr's family.