December 31st: A historic moment awaits – ‍‍`Now or Never,‍‍` say student leaders

The phrase "December 31st: Now or Never" has been making waves across social media since Saturday evening, as leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement started posting this cryptic message on Facebook.

One of the first to post was Asif Mahmud, a government advisor, who added to the speculation with the statement, "Proclamation of the July Revolution." 

Just before that, he had written, "Comrades, Now or Never," creating a sense of urgency and mystery around the date.

This has left many people wondering—what exactly is going to happen on December 31st?

In an interview with BBC Bangla, Asif Mahmud, who is not only an interim government advisor but also a former coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, shed some light on the situation. 

"There is a very important task from the July Uprising that is still unfinished. This will be completed within 2024, and the anti-discrimination student movement will officially make that announcement," he said.

The anti-discrimination student movement has hinted that they are working on a proclamation that aims to push forward the vision of a fair and just society.

Arif Sohel, the movement’s secretary, also spoke to BBC Bangla, saying, "The July Uprising was a unique and historic event. Our proclamation will include several exceptional aspects."

The movement is currently in the process of preparing the proclamation. Along with that, they have been discussing with various political groups and others who took part in the mass uprising.

When asked why there was a sudden rush to finalize this proclamation, leaders of the July movement provided some context. 

They explained that after the government was formed on August 5th, many crises emerged in different parts of the administration and state.

According to them, these could have been avoided if a revolutionary government had been established at that time.

Because of this, even though the ‘Proclamation of the July Revolution’ will be officially declared on December 31st, it will be retroactively effective from August 5th.

So, what’s behind all this discussion?

Sarjis Alam, a key organizer of the anti-discrimination student movement and now chief organizer of the National Citizens Committee, posted on his verified Facebook page Saturday night, "December 31st! Shaheed Minar, 3 PM. Now is the time, for Bangladesh."

Almost at the same time, Hasnat Abdullah, the convener of the anti-discrimination student movement, made two back-to-back posts. In one, he wrote, "Comrades, December 31st! Now or Never."

He followed it up with another post, adding, "Proclamation of the July Revolution, December 31st, Shaheed Minar. 3 PM."

The verified page of the anti-discrimination student movement also posted on Saturday night, announcing that the proclamation of the July Revolution would be read at Shaheed Minar on December 31st at 3 PM.

When asked what would be included in the proclamation, Abdul Hannan Masud, the movement’s chief organizer, told BBC Bangla, "The main focus of the proclamation will be the spirit of the July Uprising. We are currently working on the proclamation, and we will hold a press conference soon to share more details."

Naturally, the sudden surge of these posts has sparked a lot of interest and discussion on social media.

Under the posts made by the movement’s leaders, some people even asked if a new student political party would be announced on that day.

However, Arif Sohel, the movement’s secretary, dismissed this speculation, telling BBC Bangla, 

"The proclamation of the July Uprising on that day will be an extraordinary event in the history of Bangladesh, both in terms of participation and action. So, it‍‍`s only natural that people are curious about it."

So, what’s in the student movement’s proclamation?

After the posts went viral, BBC Bangla reached out to several individuals, including government student advisors and leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement, to learn more.

One key organizer of the movement, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told BBC Bangla, "The proclamation will begin by highlighting the reasons why the students felt compelled to rise up after enduring years of repression over the past 15 years."

He added, "The destruction of state institutions, denial of voting rights, and incidents of enforced disappearances and crossfires over the years led to this uprising."

Arif Sohel emphasized the purpose of the proclamation, saying, "The spirit behind our movement will be made clear to the nation through this proclamation. 

It will also include several recommendations for building an equitable society."

The leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement stated that the proclamation will outline the kind of state that students and the general public envision after the uprising.

Additionally, the proclamation will present a vision of a state that ensures the protection of basic human rights and civil liberties.

One of the organizers involved in drafting the proclamation also mentioned to BBC Bangla that "this proclamation will be retroactively effective from August 5th."