‘Ensure justice, accountability, democratic rights’

The Gonotrantik Odhikar Committee yesterday presented a set of 25 recommendations for the next elected government, calling upon it to ensure justice, accountability, peace, security, and democratic rights of the people, and public ownership of the July uprising, the Liberation War, and all past uprisings.

The committee unveiled the recommendations at an event titled “Manifesto for Peoples’ Peace, Comfort, Security, and Democratic Rights” at the National Press Club in Dhaka.

The manifesto was read by Akram Khan, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, and Sushmita S Preetha. 

The manifesto’s demands to the next elected government include: publishing final lists of all those killed and injured during the July uprising, from both sides, within three months; ensuring compensation within six months to families of all the deceased and critically injured in the uprising; preventing harassment of affected families; state guarantee of safety to all July Uprising participants; banning the use of the uprising for personal gain, corruption, or political influence; completion of trials within three years against all those responsible for massacre during the uprising, including Sheikh Hasina, Awami League leaders and activists, and members of the security forces; launching a judicial investigation to determine how over 600 accused fled to India and taking legal action against those who assisted them; investigating and punishing killings, mob violence, and attacks by state forces during the interim government’s tenure, including killings of Osman Hadi, Dipu Chandra Das, Ayesha, indigenous people, and workers; state recognition and compensation to families of victims from the 1990 and Fulbari uprisings; cancellation of false cases against Fulbari participants; preparing an independent, non-partisan state account of the Liberation War and the July Uprising; ensuring security for freedom fighters; removing fake names from official FF lists; providing compensation to seriously injured veterans; preparing a nationwide list of war collaborators (razakars) of 1971 Liberation War; making Awami League apologise publicly for its role in the July Uprising; making Jamaat-e-Islami apologise publicly for anti-Liberation War acts; continuing legal proceedings independently; implementing reforms to ensure police and judges work free from political influence; implementing a rule requiring the automatic dismissal of the Home Minister if three consecutive extrajudicial killings or enforced disappearances occur; ending impunity; ensuring fair elections; ensuring economic security, protection, and healthcare for farmers, workers, students, teachers.

Professor Anu Muhammad presided over the event, while Dhaka University Professor Samina Luthfa was also present.