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Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee on Sunday said the July mass uprising was the result of a united national movement and should not be credited to just two political parties.
Speaking at a discussion titled “Martyrs’ Sacrifice, Our Responsibility and a New Bangladesh” in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, Anee said the foundation of the uprising had been built over 16 years of resistance against authoritarianism.
“The united struggle gave birth to the events of July,” he said, emphasizing that the movement belonged to the people—particularly ordinary students.
Anee criticized attempts to attribute the uprising to a limited political bloc, naming Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party. He alleged that many participants, including activists from Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, were overlooked in official recognition.
“Many who were actively involved are missing from the list. Only a handful of names have been included,” he said.
The minister noted that he remained in contact with grassroots activists until his arrest on July 25. However, after his release, he found that a new leadership had emerged, now positioned differently in the political landscape.
He questioned the exclusion of countless participants, asking: “Were they not part of the struggle? Were they not victims of enforced disappearance, killings, or martyrdom?”
Anee also criticized the interim government for labeling certain individuals as the “masterminds” of the uprising.
“The real masterminds were the people of this country and the students. It was a collective movement built by everyone,” he said, arguing that such labels distort the true, inclusive nature of the uprising.
The discussion was attended by Nurul Haque Nur as the keynote speaker and Ishraque Hossain as a special discussant.