'The conspiracy has not stopped yet. Conspiracies are still being made for the political rehabilitation of the Awami League in various national and international arenas.'
This was stated by Asif Mahmud, Local Government and Youth and Sports Adviser, at a discussion program titled 'New Eyes on Mass Uprising and Future Bangladesh' organized by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement JU branch at the Selim Al Din Mukta Mancha of Jahangirnagar University (JU) on Monday (November 18) evening.
Adviser Asif Mahmud said, we are trying to fulfill our responsibility. We have not been successful in most cases. We have been given the responsibility at a time when Bangladesh was in a state of devastation. We have taken and are taking many initiatives for the treatment and rehabilitation of those martyred and injured in the mass uprising. More than a hundred students have been shot in the eyes during the movement. Of these, about 50 people have successfully removed the splinter from their eyes. Those injured in the movement from July 18 to August 5 were not treated. At that time, many government medical colleges were also told not to give them treatment. Many people then received treatment in private hospitals. Many of them sold their land there and paid for their treatment.
He also said, the conspiracy has not stopped yet. Conspiracies are still being hatched for the political rehabilitation of the Awami League at various national and international levels. Various conspiracies are being hatched to bring the Awami League back by making it participate in the elections by talking about democracy. When we, the government, talk about banning the Awami League, many of the political parties are trying to block their speeches and words. Talking about democracy, they are trying to put pressure from various embassies that the Awami League cannot be banned or kept away from the elections.
He also said, a German journalist asked me, we hear that the Awami League will be banned. Is that a threat to democracy or not? I said, you yourself banned the fascist Nazi Party in 1945. And the Nazi Party is still banned. From there, one should understand what the fate of the Bangladesh Awami League should be.
Stating that the government is working to keep the country's economy running, Asif Mahmud also said, "In addition to treating the injured, keeping the country's economy running was one of our first priorities. Bangladesh has a debt of about Tk. 18 lakh crore. Lakhs and lakhs of crore taka have been laundered out of the country. In such a situation, we have to work to keep the country's economy running and control the rise in prices so that we do not go towards bankruptcy."
Earlier, the program began with a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs of the July-August mass uprising, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Dr. Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan. At the beginning of the program, students expressed their experiences of the July Uprising and presented various reform proposals, and a documentary made in the context of the movement at Jahangirnagar University in July-August against discrimination was screened. A revolutionary cultural evening was held at the end of the program.
The program was attended by special guests, including Professor Shamima Sultana Lucky, President of the Bangla Department of Jahangirnagar University, Professor Md. Lutful Elahi, Professor of the History Department, and Professor Mohammad Jamal Uddin Runu, President of the Environmental Science Department. Also speakers were the university's Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, Pro- Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Sohel Ahmed, Pro- Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor M Mahfuzur Rahman and Proctor AKM Rashidul Alam.