Democracy Day today: Still not there
On December 6, 1990, military dictator Ershad stepped down in the face of a mass uprising and handed power over to a caretaker government ending his nine years of autocratic rule. The nation then embarked on a new journey with fresh promises. Thirty years later, on the eve of the occasion, what is celebrated every year as Democracy Day, The Daily Star talked to three student leaders of the movement about what they dreamt of and what actually has been achieved.
Ashim Kumar Ukil
It's true that people's aspiration regarding the restoration of democracy through the fall of autocratic ruler HM Ershad in December, 1990, was not fulfilled completely, said Ashim Kumar Ukil, a ruling Awami League MP and the then general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League.
"We are moving forward ... we have formulated an education policy, our Election Commission has become strong. But a better system of democracy is yet to get a complete shape," he said.
A top leader in the "Sarbadalia Chhatra Oikya", a platform of all students organisations that led the mass uprising against military ruler Ershad, Ashim Kumar also said, "We are yet to be able to completely uproot militancy and fundamentalist groups, who were patronised by those who came to power after the fall of the Ershad's regime."
Ashim Kumar, one of the popular student leaders during the anti-Ershad movement, said, "Due to some silly mistakes, the foundation of democracy has not become as strong as desired."
Despite this limitation "we have achieved many goals that we had set during the mass movement", he said.
"We have stopped the culture of change in power through killings, coups, conspiracies and the back door. We have ensured change in power through ballots although 1/11 type government [military-backed caretaker government in 2007] comes as a threat to us," he also said.
He said, "We have no scope to become complacent with this achievement."
Ashim said, "We, the students organisations of the country, had formed "Sarbadalia Chhatra Oikya" in October 10, 1990, to achieve some goals, which included restoration of democracy by restoring people's voting rights and by ending the politics of killings, coups and conspiracies, and establish Bangladesh in light of the spirit of the great Liberation War.
"We vowed in front of the "Aporajeo Bangla" in Dhaka University that we will not give up our movement until our goals were achieved."
All political alliances as well as the country's people rallied to achieve those goals, he said.
AMANULLAH AMAN
Amanullah Aman, former Ducsu VP and one of the popular leaders in the anti-Ershad movement in 1990, said, "Sacrifices of many people in the mass uprising against the autocratic ruler went in vain as we see today that democracy is confined."
" ... democracy, human rights, and people's basic rights are absent in the country," Aman, also adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, said.
"During the formation of the Sarbadalia Chhatra Oikya, I administered the oath taking in front of Aporajeo Bangla that we will ensure people's voting rights through restoration of democracy. But what we see now -- people have no voting rights," he said.
Aman alleged that an undeclared one-party rule was going on in the country.
He said Shaheed Dr Milon, Nur Hossain, Selim, Delowar, Raufun Basunia, Zehad made the supreme sacrifice, but their aim was not achieved since a "neo-autocratic regime" was running the county.
Mentioning that the Language Movement in 1952, Mass Uprising in 1969, and Liberation War in 1971 did not fail, he said the ongoing movement to restore democracy and people's voting rights would also not fail.
"We need a strong movement against the neo-autocratic regime to get back people's basis rights," Aman said.
He said during the anti-Ershad movement, all political and professional organisations were united. "We also need a united movement of all political, student and professional bodies to oust the present autocratic ruler and restore democracy."
He said historically people's movement against any undemocratic regime never fails.
"Learning from the movement against Ershad regime, we will surely be able to achieve our goal through a strong movement with the participation of people of all walks of lives and that day is not far away."
RUHIN HOSSAIN PRINCE
Former president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union and also a student leader during the anti-Ershad movement in 1990 alleged that the present government has undermined the spirit of the mass uprising against the Ershad regime.
"We had carried out nine long years of movement against the autocratic ruler HM Ershad to establish people's basic rights, people's voting rights and to restore democracy. But, we are yet to achieve those goals," Ruhin, also secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, said.
He said, "During the anti-Ershad movement, we had taken an oath that the country will run in light of the spirit of the Liberation War, communal forces will not be patronised. But we didn't keep those promises."
"After 30 years of the fall of the autocratic ruler, we see that politics without any ethics prevailing everywhere."
Ruhin said communal forces are becoming stronger day by day as the political parties who were in power compromised with them.
"Staying in power by any means has become the main target of the political parties."
The aims of the mass uprising in 1990 was to give democracy a permanent shape, ensure changes in power through fair elections and reestablishing of the spirit of the Liberation War. But those goals were yet to be achieved, said Ruhin.
"Political parties with values need to wake up and take the people with them to engage in another movement to fulfil the aspirations of those who sacrificed their lives to oust the autocratic government of Ershad," he said.
The left-leaning leader said the dreams of the martyrs of the movement against the autocratic ruler will be materialised "if we can ensure people's voting and their basic rights".
Ruhin said, "We need to unite the alternative political forces against the ongoing culture of unethical politics."