The perception of a July 1 protester

-Farhan Ahmed Farabi

I hate the July Movement.

When July was first happening, when students died, I was on their side. I was not on the side of the police or the government, nor was I in favor of indiscriminately opening fire on protesters with three-knot rifles. But now I hate the July movement.

Religious extremism existed in Bangladesh even before the movement, but it has increased drastically since the movement. Since then, the flag of militant organizations in the name of the Kalema flag has become normalized in Bangladesh, and minority persecution has increased manifold. Since then, even the mute have learned to speak, and the blacks have started hearing.

Now, before you call me a Leaguer because you hate July, prove it. July was nothing more than a scam. People from different classes were involved in July so that they could later carry out occupation, they were mixed with ordinary students.

After July, harassment of women has increased drastically, religious extremism has increased, and treason has increased. Have you ever seen militant organizations being promoted by talking about religion? But back then, the army even paraded with the flag of the Kalema. And now the flags of these extremist organizations are being openly promoted, and when someone says something, they say, “This is the flag of Islam.”

After July, all the big businessmen emerged in Bangladesh. These are not rice and daul traders. They are brother traders, July traders, Hadi traders, etc. There is a rickshaw puller, in one salute he has become a leader from a rickshaw puller. Again, because of Hadi, the people of Bangladesh have come to know the national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.

After July, pro-Pakistanists came to the fore. They still consider Bangladesh to be East Pakistan, and want the two Pakistans to be one. And they say these things openly. Now there are big pages on Facebook that defend Pakistan and claim the Liberation War was an Indian conspiracy. Oh, the July movement is again against the spirit of the Liberation War!

This July was not for the people of Bangladesh, but all those associated with this July have the Bangladesh flag tied on their heads. After this movement, militancy has increased, harassment of women has increased, the Liberation War has been abused. But these so-called Bangladeshi supporters never speak out against these extremisms.

Now before you call me a leaguer, listen to me – after July, when the police force was off duty across the country, I too worked in the traffic, burnt in the sun, cleaned up the vandalism that had taken place in July. Now, if I had been foaming at the mouth in July, I too would have been sleeping on money now, instead of doing that, I hate July now. Because I hate pro-Pakistanists, militants.