18 crore people were the mastermind of July Uprising: Jamaat ameer

Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has rejected the idea that any single individual was the "mastermind" behind the July Uprising.

Responding to remarks in the parliament that cited one of his earlier statements describing Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as the "main hero" of the movement, Shafiqur said the comment had been made in April 2024 and his position had changed after August 5 that year.

"We do not believe there was any single mastermind behind this movement," he said.

Shafiqur made the comment during an unscheduled discussion at the House.

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State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat praised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's leadership in addressing the budget deficit and quoted Shafiqur's earlier remarks, saying the opposition leader had described Tarique as the "main hero" of the mass uprising.

Shafiqur then rose to clarify his position.

"Thank you to Mr Rashiduzzaman Millat for quoting my statement. However, he [Millat] did not mention the timing correctly. That statement was made in April 2024. The situation changed on August 5," he said.

Urging that credit for the uprising should not be attributed to any single person or leadership, he said, "Those under whose leadership the uprising succeeded deserve our respect and appreciation. We must preserve their rightful place."

Referring to a comment made by former chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Shafiqur said, "Dr Yunus, while in the United States, described one person as the mastermind. I was the first to object and said that we do not recognise any single mastermind behind this movement."

"I want to give credit to our young people. The mastermind of this uprising is the 18 crore people of Bangladesh," the Jamaat ameer said.