Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar on Wednesday claimed that Bangladesh did not achieve true independence in 1971, asserting that the mass uprising of 2024 marked the "second liberation" for the people of the country.
Speaking at a discussion organised by Dhaka Metropolitan South Jamaat-e-Islami on the occasion of Independence Day, Parwar stated, "To those who claim to uphold the spirit of the Liberation War, I would say that you had actually made agreements to sell the country to Delhi for political interests. True independence was not achieved."
He further remarked, "Millions of people in Bangladesh have declared the 2024 mass uprising as our second independence." Parwar emphasised that Jamaat-e-Islami loves the country and its independence due to its ideological principles.
Parwar also alleged that attempts are being made to discredit Jamaat by revisiting settled issues from 1971.
"After 54 years, those who constantly remind people not to forget 1971 were themselves responsible for appointing 12 to 13 anti-liberation figures as presidents, ministers, and MPs while in power," he added.
Meanwhile, BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas, speaking at the National Memorial, criticised the notion of a "second independence," stating, "There is no such thing as second independence. I would suggest everyone not to make any such claims."
In response to Abbas' remarks, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam argued that the independence of 1971 and the 2024 mass uprising are not contradictory. "We believe that 1971 and 2024 are not separate events. Rather, the mass uprising of 2024 has revived the spirit of 1971," Nahid said while addressing journalists after placing wreaths at the National Memorial.
Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan also weighed in, stating, "We believe that '24 [July uprising] has preserved the 1971 independence, and through yet another bloody mass uprising, we have safeguarded the hard-earned freedom of '71."
He added, "One of the critical steps in this struggle was '24. This independence will continue in Bangladesh in the days ahead, and never again will the people of this free land feel subjugated."
