Professor Ali Riaz, Special Assistant (with the rank of Adviser) to the Chief Adviser, has said that a nation crushed for 16 years under the weight of personalized authoritarianism finally witnessed a moment of deliverance through the 2024 mass uprising. Although the country has achieved an apparent respite from fascist repression, he warned that Bangladesh’s current constitution still contains provisions that can pave the way for future autocracy.
“That is precisely why the July Charter has been formulated—to ensure that no dictator can ever again impose themselves on the people,” he said. “And to implement the July Charter, the upcoming referendum must secure a victory for ‘Yes.’”
“Many people ask, ‘Who is the candidate for ‘Yes’?’ My answer is simple—the candidate is you, me, all of us,” he added. “‘Yes’ will open the path to building a humane and democratic Bangladesh for everyone.”
He made these remarks on Sunday (1 February) while presiding over a discussion at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology auditorium in Sylhet, organized to raise awareness and encourage voter participation ahead of the referendum.
Dr. Riaz said that a nation long oppressed under fascism seeks no more tyranny or misrule. “People want to build an enlightened future—to usher in a new dawn defined by equality, justice, and joy. A future without the fear of enforced disappearances at the hands of shadowy forces, without the terror of arbitrary arrests in fabricated cases. This is the dream our freedom fighters envisioned, and for which our students and citizens sacrificed their lives during the July uprising.”
Calling the July uprising a remarkable milestone in the nation’s history, he said it has unexpectedly created a critical opportunity to strengthen democracy, justice, and human rights in the country. He noted that several reforms have already been undertaken with these goals in mind.
However, Dr. Riaz emphasized the need for deeper and more far-reaching reforms. He explained that this necessity led all political parties to develop the July Charter based on a national consensus. “Its implementation requires the direct consent of the people, and that is the purpose of the referendum,” he said, urging everyone to participate and vote ‘Yes.’
Explaining the meaning and significance of a ‘Yes’ vote, the Special Assistant said it would ensure that the government and the opposition jointly oversee the formation of the caretaker government and the Election Commission. It would prevent ruling parties from amending the constitution at will and require public approval for major constitutional changes. The deputy speaker and chairs of key parliamentary committees would come from the opposition. No individual could serve as prime minister for more than ten years. The judiciary would function independently, ensuring justice is no longer silenced behind closed doors.
“A victory for ‘Yes’ will shut the door to fascism—a door that opened due to constitutional weaknesses,” he asserted.
Vice Chancellors Professor Dr. M. Sarwar Uddin Chowdhury of Sylhet University of Science and Technology, Professor Dr. Md. Alimul Islam of Sylhet Agricultural University, Professor Dr. Md. Nizam Uddin of Sunamganj University of Science and Technology, and Professor Dr. Sayem Uddin Ahmed of Habiganj University of Science and Technology, among others, also spoke at the event.