New Message in Tarique Rahman’s Interview on the July Uprising: ‘The Mastermind is the People’

Staff Reporter | PNN

BNP’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, has spoken in detail for the first time about the July uprising of 2024, which ended the 15-and-a-half-year rule of the Awami League. The London-based leader, who has been in exile for 17 years, made it clear in an interview with BBC Bangla that he does not see himself as the ‘mastermind’ of the uprising.

Tarique Rahman said, “It was not any individual or party; the real mastermind of the July movement was the pro-democracy people of Bangladesh.” He believes that alongside political party leaders and activists, farmers, workers, students, housewives, retired military officers, and expatriate journalists also participated in the movement.

The BNP leader further stated that nearly 2,000 people lost their lives and about 30,000 were injured or disabled during the uprising. He believes that now it is the responsibility of both political parties and the state to stand by these families.

When asked about his contact with student leaders during the July uprising, Tarique Rahman explained that despite technological barriers, he maintained active communication within the movement through online platforms and other means.

According to Tarique Rahman, this movement will remain an unforgettable chapter in Bangladesh’s history because ordinary people united regardless of class, profession, or political affiliation.

In this two-part interview with BBC Bangla, Tarique Rahman has spoken publicly after a long time, sharing his views on BNP’s position, the context of the uprising, and the political realities of the future.