Dhaka, Monday — Former Information Adviser of the interim government, Mahfuj Alam, issued a stark warning on Monday, saying that if those aligned with the July movement are not kept safe, their enemies would also lose any claim to security in the country.
Speaking at an all-party resistance rally organised by Inqilab Mancha at the Central Shaheed Minar, Mahfuz said the political situation ahead is “extremely critical” and warned against further attacks on activists.
“We cannot be touched. If one body falls, we will take bodies as well. Civility has achieved nothing. We have shown patience for too long,” he said.
Mahfuj further alleged that individuals and groups acting in the interest of India and foreign forces should not be allowed space or security within Bangladesh.
“Those who safeguard foreign interests cannot be allowed to remain among us or feel safe. If we are not safe, our enemies will not be safe either. This is the basic condition,” he added.
Referring to the July Uprising, Mahfuj admitted that the post-uprising struggle had faltered, which, he claimed, emboldened attacks on activists. He cited the recent shooting of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, whom he described as a “July hero,” as evidence of that failure.
“We lost the fight we were supposed to continue after the July revolution. That is why today one of our own has been shot,” he said.
Mahfuj also reflected on restraint shown after 5 August, stating that supporters of the movement had the capacity to retaliate against Awami League leaders and their allies but chose not to.
“We restrained ourselves when we had the power to crush every house of these Mujibists, the Awami League, and the 14-party terrorists. Because we forgave them, they now dare to attack us. If forgiving was a mistake, we vow we will not forgive again,” he said.
Criticising what he termed the deep-rooted entrenchment of Mujibism, Mahfuj argued that it had become embedded culturally, intellectually, and politically, and accused successive institutions of failing to confront it meaningfully.
He linked the ideology to the 1972 Constitution, alleging that it facilitated repression and sustained Indian dominance through the co-option of cultural activists, intellectuals, educators, and legal professionals.
Mahfuj also accused “foreign assets” of justifying the attack on Hadi while remaining silent after the shooting.
“They manufactured the logic for killing Hadi, and when he was shot, all of them stayed silent. They are staging a drama with us,” he claimed.
Concluding his speech, Mahfuj warned that if Bangladesh’s internal political struggle is pushed beyond its borders, the country’s liberation struggle would also internationalise.
“If this country’s fight goes outside the country, then the fight for liberation will also go outside the country,” he said.
