Bangladesh govt committed to meeting people's expectations, says BNP leader on uprising anniversary

Speaking to ANI, Ashim said the movement that led to Hasina's fall was not limited to students but was a broader people's movement involving citizens from different sections of society.

"In July 2024, the fall [of Sheikh Hasina] was very much possible due to the uprising that has been motivated and that has been led by all the political parties, democratic political parties, and the students and all people from different walks of life. They participated in the uprising, that movement," Ashim said.

Bangladesh is observing the second anniversary of the 2024 uprising against Sheikh Hasina with a series of state-sponsored programmes.

Hasina was ousted from Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following a massive student-led uprising which caused a major overhaul of the whole political landscape in the country.

Following her ouster, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus took charge of the interim government before elections took place in February this year.

The BNP came out victorious in the election, with its Chairman Tarique Rahman elected as the new Prime Minister.

As part of the commemorations of the uprising, Bangladesh's acting President Hafizuddin Ahmed is scheduled to deliver an address at a discussion meeting, while a museum dedicated to the uprising will also be inaugurated by Rahman.

People have been paying tribute to the victims by laying wreaths at the July Memorial at Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka since morning.

Various commemorative events are being organised across the country, and the government has declared the day a public holiday.

Describing the events of July 2024, Ashim said the uprising was the culmination of years of grievances and not the result of a single incident.

"The uprising of July 2024 was not a result of a single day and was not the result or destination of any single event. It was a compilation of the previous fascist regime which ruled this country for--basically misruled this country for a long 17 years," he said.

Listing allegations against the previous Hasina-led government, Ashim said, "Compilation of sin, atrocities, mass killing, corruption, looting of banks, even the Bangladesh Bank scam as well, political murders, enforced disappearances. So many issues were there."

He also referred to the detention of the late BNP Chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia and previous student protests, including the 2018 quota movement, saying these developments contributed to the events of July 2024.

"The atrocity, the leader, our leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, she was detained for many long years. So all--too many things were taken together. And in 2018, there was a student movement against the quota. And after that, it sparked again in July 2024," Ashim said.

Highlighting the challenges before the current BNP-led government, Ashim said rebuilding the country after years of alleged misgovernance would require time.

"Two years, as I said earlier, the famous saying, 'Rome was not built in a day.' So, the compilation of sinister deeds that have been experienced by this country, Bangladesh, you cannot eradicate, you cannot eliminate everything in one fine morning. You cannot in one day. Our leader, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is trying his best to fulfil the commitment--BNP's commitment to the nation," he said.

Ashim said the expectations of people following the uprising were high and that restoring the country's institutions and economy remained a major challenge.

"The aspiration, the expectation, is so high; it will take time. The banking system, the country's economy, what BNP got when it came into power - it's completely shattered. Everything has to be renewed now. So, in that case, it is a big challenge for the government to fulfil everything in a short period of time. We need time, and we have to give the government sufficient time," he said. (ANI)