In a significant proposal made on the eve of Sheikh Hasina’s decision to resign and flee the country, the Bangladeshi University Teachers’ Network (UTN) – whose members have been active in the mass protests, alongside the students – held a press conference where they released a proposal for transforming Bangladesh into “an anti-discriminatory, democratic” nation, including the formation of an interim government and constitutional assembly with a mandate to eradicate from the country’s current constitution “all autocratic, communal, anti-people and discriminatory clauses.”

We are publishing the statement in its entirety below.

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Written Statement at the Press Conference on the Proposal for Transforming into an Anti- Discriminatory, Democratic Bangladesh

We are going through a terrifying time. Simultaneously, we are going through a time full of extraordinary creative potential. We are witnessing severe oppression as well as exceptional resistance. We have been seeing men-women, workers-teachers-students-everyone is facing this violent attack. According to news media reports, from July 16, nearly three hundred ordinary people were killed by the ruling party’s armed forces and state machinery. It is hard to find any groups whose members are not killed. Many students, children, workers, and journalists are on the list of the victims of this brutal killing. We have seen many mass uprisings before, but we have never seen so many deaths in the span of two to three weeks in the history of Independent Bangladesh.

In response to this brutal repression, students have built an extraordinary resistance. Despite severe oppression and temptations, their unity remains unbreakable. Amid continuous violent attacks from the ruling party’s thugs and the state machinery, their protest did not stop. The resistance involves public and private university students, school and college students, teachers, guardians, professionals, and workers-men and women, plains and hill people alike, united in a fight for a free Bangladesh.

Today, the resistance is not limited to only the reformation of the quota system; it has transformed into a mass uprising for students and all people together for justice for the July Massacre. The nine-point demands of the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement, which include stopping shootings, attacks, mass arrests, releasing detained students, withdrawing false cases, and opening educational institutions, turned into a one-point demand for the resignation of the Sheikh Hasina government by taking responsibility of the mass killing. The University Teachers’ Network supports the students’ 1- point demand and calls for the government’s immediate resignation.

However, we know from our past experiences that the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government will not automatically bring about a free and democratic Bangladesh and will not eradicate the possibility of reinstalment of another autocratic regime. Because the possibilities of dictatorial autocracy lie within our constitution, through which the core principles of our liberation have been stolen. We need to rescue our Liberation War as a people’s war so as not to be used as a means of loot, injustice, corruption, or destructive ‘development’ practices with capitalist exploitation over people and nature.

We need to bring back the narrative of the Liberation War to the hands of the people so that a democratic transformation of Bangladesh, informed by the true principles of the Liberation War and anti-discrimination, becomes possible. The students initiated the movement for a decent living against discrimination, and we need to build a new anti-discriminatory Bangladesh by following their path. We need to focus on discussing how this anti-discriminatory democratic transformation could be achieved. This transformation requires a political consensus shaped by the people’s aspirations built with the collective political consciences and effort of students, educators, professionals, workers, labour organisations, and women’s organisations. By uniting all groups of society, we need to build collective and indestructible solidarity. To achieve the demand for the resignation of the Sheikh Hasina government, the University Teachers’ Network presents an outline for the transformation into an anti-discriminatory democratic Bangladesh. We believe that the resignation and the democratic transformation are possible in a few steps. Professor Anu Muhammad presents the outline.

Outline:

1. With the agreement of the central allies actively participating in the mass uprising, an interim government will be formed consisting of teachers, legal experts, and civil society, inclusive of all ethnic, religious, gender and classes. The student protesters will play a central role in selecting the members of this interim government. The Sheikh Hasina government will hand over their resignation to this government.

2. With the central allies actively participating in the mass uprising, a shadow government consisting of students, teachers, and all resisting people will be formed. This shadow government will ensure accountability and transparency for creating an appropriate democratic environment for a fair election and the proper pathways for the implication of the mass uprising’s true demand for an ‘anti-discriminatory’ Bangladesh. This shadow government can remain active in the democratic government formed by the election.

3. The major responsibilities of the interim government will be the following:

a) To investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the July Massacre and the brutal attack on the people by forming a special tribunal.
b) Repeal all recent fabricated and conspiratorial cases and release all detainees.
c) Form a constitutional assembly within six months to draft a democratic constitution free from discriminatory, communal, and inequitable provisions. The assembly will propose a constitutional reform to eradicate the autocratic, communal, anti-people and
discriminatory clauses. The interim government will immediately organise a general election with the reformed constitution.

4 .The University Teachers’ Network is ready to play any role in supporting and facilitating the proposed outline for forming the interim government, creating the list of stakeholders, and forming the shadow government. This outline is a preliminary proposal; we are ready to elaborate and refine it further as needed.

In conclusion, we need to remember our history – our history is not only about being oppressed; our history is also about resistance; it is about creating a new history. The University Teachers’ Network stands ready to play a significant role in this transformative journey.

[On behalf of the University Teachers’ Network, this text was read out in a press conference at the Shagar- Runi Auditorium, Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on 4 August 2024 noon.]

The Wire Staff

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