July and Muslim Political Subjectivity

Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman said that "old narratives are returning." He alleged that, just as Bengali nationalism had once been used to create divisions among the people of the country, attempts are now being made to recreate similar divisions in the name of "Bangladeshi nationalism."

He made these remarks at a discussion jointly organized by Sancharan and the Centre for Bengal Studies at the R. C. Majumdar Auditorium of the University of Dhaka. The topic of the discussion was "July and Muslim Political Agency."

Also participating in the discussion were writer and public intellectual Dr. Fahmid-ur-Rahman and Dr. Usama Al-Azami, Assistant Professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. The session was chaired by Shihan Bin Omar.

Mahmudur Rahman said that in the past, proponents of Bangladeshi nationalism and Islamist groups had stood together against Bengali nationalism. He claimed that Bangladeshi nationalism is now taking a position against Islamists, which, according to him, signals the emergence of a new form of cultural division.

Recalling controversial slogans associated with the Shahbag movement, he said that slogans such as "Catch one or two Shibir members and slaughter them one by one" are still being heard. He also expressed concern over the renewed chanting of the slogan, "Who are you? Who am I? Bengali, Bengali."

He argued that such slogans are dividing the nation and creating cultural polarization, warning that such divisions could once again enable foreign expansionist forces to gain influence. "I am deeply concerned about the future," he said.

Rahman emphasized that competition for state power should remain political and should not evolve into a cultural conflict between opposing groups.

He further stated that the country's most important task at present is to institutionalize "our own narrative." Otherwise, he warned, "we will lose this cultural war. And if we lose the cultural war, our independence will come under threat."

Describing the "July Revolution" as a new chapter in the nation's independence, he said, "After fifty-two or fifty-three years, we have witnessed a July Revolution. We cannot allow this revolution to fade away."

Rahman also remarked that every nation requires heroes to move forward. He said that the July Uprising had produced numerous heroes, including Abu Sayeed, Wasim, Mugdha, and Anas, and stressed that these figures must not be forgotten.

He added that the letter written by Anas before he was martyred "is our literature; it is our music." According to Rahman, these memories should be transformed into academic works and literature so that the nation's collective consciousness can acquire a lasting foundation.

Rahman further alleged that the Shahbag movement was an attempt to establish a Hindutva-inspired culture under the banner of a Bengali Renaissance, where Bengali Muslims were expected to set aside their religious identity. He claimed that despite being the majority in Bangladesh, Bengali Muslims were never fully accommodated within that conception of Bengali identity.

He argued that, beginning in the Pakistan era, a cultural movement had been developed in the name of Bengali nationalism, culminating in the Shahbag movement and the killings at Shapla Chattar.

Rahman claimed that the bloodshed surrounding the 2024 uprising marked the collapse of both Indian hegemony and what he described as the hegemonic version of Bengali identity. He said he was particularly struck by the clear anti-hegemonic stance toward India taken by the young people who participated in the July Uprising, adding that this points the way toward the country's future.

He maintained that Indian hegemony in Bangladesh has not yet ended. According to him, those seeking to preserve that influence are treating the 2024 mass uprising as an isolated event and are attempting to reassert themselves.

Referring to the recent incidents in Gopalganj and the Milestone tragedy, he alleged that these events were part of a deliberate effort to create instability. "Whenever they get the opportunity, they become active again," he said. "We must remain vigilant."

Concluding the discussion, Rahman observed that those who had once stood together to overthrow what he described as Sheikh Hasina's fascist regime are now turning against one another. He called this "deeply unfortunate" for the nation.

Expressing optimism about the future, he said that "the coming era will belong to Bengali Muslims." He added that, led by the country's youth, Bangladesh would soon witness what he described as an anti-Indian-hegemony Muslim renaissance.