At Jahangirnagar University today, NCP Convener Nahid Islam urged the new generation to uphold the legacy of the 2024 July Uprising, emphasizing the need to continue the struggle for state reforms. Addressing a discussion, essay competition, and prize-giving ceremony titled "July: Legacy of the Blood Debt," Nahid highlighted the significance of the uprising in establishing democracy and building a discrimination-free Bangladesh. "The July Mass Uprising was not merely the fall of a government. It was a commitment to reform the state, establish democracy and build a discrimination-free Bangladesh. The new generation must now take the lead in fulfilling that commitment," he said.
The event, organized by the Jahangirnagar University (JU) unit of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti at the Zahir Raihan Auditorium, marked the second anniversary of the July Mass Uprising. JU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan presided over the program. Nahid paid tribute to the martyrs of the uprising, noting that their sacrifices had made it possible to build a fascism-free Bangladesh.
He honored JU students and teachers who participated in the movement and faced injuries, arrests, and repression. Nahid stressed the university's role in democratic movements, recalling its significant contributions from the quota reform movement to the July Mass Uprising. "Whenever anti-people or anti-democratic decisions have emerged, Jahangirnagar University has been at the forefront of protests," he said.
Referring to the movement in Savar and Ashulia, Nahid praised the unity of workers, students, and ordinary people, which transformed the protests into a mass uprising. He also highlighted the role of JU teachers during the movement, mentioning a poem by JU Prof. Golam Rabbani that inspired people across the country.
Addressing newly admitted students, Nahid urged them to preserve the university's democratic culture by standing against injustice and preparing themselves as responsible and skilled citizens. He stressed the need for reforms in university governance, calling for greater accountability in the appointment of vice-chancellors, recruitment of teachers, and democratic structures in public universities. Nahid claimed that the government had yet to take expected initiatives to implement state reforms despite public support, urging students to remain vocal in demanding meaningful reforms.
