July 36 can never be erased from people's hearts: MP Asghar

CHATMOHAR, PABNA, Aug 1: Pabna-3 MP Muhammad Ali Asghar on Friday said the memory of "July 36" would never be erased from the hearts of the people, describing the July uprising as a defining moment in the country's political history.

"July 36 can never be erased from people's hearts. We must live with the spirit of July and carry it forward," he said while addressing the opening ceremony of a three-day programme marking the July uprising, organised by the Chatmohar Upazila unit of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir at Baluchar field in Chatmohar on Friday night.

The lawmaker said the July movement was not confined to any single political party.

"It was not only Jamaat, Shibir or BNP's movement. It belonged to the students and the people who wanted to build a discrimination-free Bangladesh," he said.

Asghar also said the political changes brought about by the uprising had paved the way for many current public representatives to assume office.

"Without July, I could not have become an MP. Others could not have become prime minister, ministers, speaker or deputy speaker," he said.

He called for implementation of the "July Charter" and said the legal basis for holding referendums should be established, adding that "the people are the ultimate source of power."

Paying tribute to those killed and injured during the movement, he said many young protesters had sacrificed their lives or suffered permanent disabilities in pursuit of a just Bangladesh free from extortion and drugs.

"We must work together to build a country based on justice and fairness," he said.

The programme was also addressed by several local leaders, including Maulana Habibur Rahman, Meshkatullah, Saddam Hossain, Mohammad Robiul Islam, Sirajul Islam and Waz Uddin.