Bangladesh won't tolerate India or US dominance: Nahid
He says the July Uprising was about more than political change, aiming to secure an independent foreign policy, democracy and Bangladesh’s rights over shared rivers.
Bangladesh would not accept the dominance of either India or the United States, Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam said today (28 July), asserting that the July Uprising was fought to establish an independent foreign policy and safeguard the country's sovereignty.
Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion titled "July Uprising: From a Spark to an Ongoing Revolution" at the central auditorium of Jagannath University, Nahid said the aspirations of the uprising extended beyond domestic political change.]
"The July Uprising was for democracy, voting rights, border security, an independent foreign policy, and Bangladesh's fair share of transboundary river waters. We will not accept anyone's dominance - neither India's nor America's," he said.
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Referring to the post-uprising political situation, Nahid said many of the movement's aspirations remained unfulfilled.
"We believe the July uprising is an ongoing movement. The people's mandate has not yet been fully implemented," he said, urging first-time voters to remain vigilant.
Highlighting Jagannath University's role in the movement, Nahid said the institution had made significant contributions to the July Uprising but had long been deprived of proper recognition.
He called on the government to give special consideration to the university.
Addressing students, he said that while infrastructure development was important, the values imparted through higher education were even more critical.
He also stressed the need for long-term reforms in the university system, including ensuring transparent and rule-based appointments of vice-chancellors and faculty members.
Among others, NCP Political Council Member and MP Abdullah Al Amin, Jagannath University Treasurer Prof Dr Sabina Sharmin, Proctor Prof Md Nasir Uddin, Jatiya Chhatra Shakti President Zahid Ahsan, General Secretary Abu Bakar Majumder, Jagannath University Central Students' Union Vice-President Riazul Islam, and Jagannath University Chhatra Dal President Mehedi Hasan Himel also spoke at the discussion.
