July-August politics and current reality regarding redefining profiles

– Imam Hussein

We need to understand one thing very calmly.

Those who took to the streets in the events of July-August 2024 were not all the same. There were people in the same crowd with different motives, different mindsets, and different positions. Denying this reality will not get us closer to the truth.

It started with a demand for quota reform. Then the character of the movement changed rapidly. For many, it was a student movement, while for many, it took the form of a movement to change the government. There are political analyses and differences of opinion on this and there will be in the future. But what is important is that the assumption that everyone within a movement has the same purpose does not always match the reality.

I myself was a student at a private university. I saw many things with my own eyes that are incomprehensible from the outside.

At that time, redefining profiles on social media became a kind of social pressure. Many did it out of faith, while many did it under pressure from the situation. Some expressed support for the movement, while others simply did it to keep up with friends. I have also seen people who initially redefining their profiles later say they didn’t fully understand the issue.

I have heard similar experiences from friends studying not only at my university but also at various universities across the country. Many said that if someone did not set their profile to red, they would face various questions, be socially isolated, and even be threatened with boycott from class. As a result, many people made that decision due to the circumstances without revealing their personal position.

Now the question is, will we still see all those people in the same light today?

My answer is, no.

Because in a democratic state, every citizen has the right to express their opinion. Some can support a movement, some can oppose it, and some can remain neutral. I do not think it is reasonable to tie a person to a specific identity forever just because of using a symbol or making a decision at a certain time.

But there is another important difference here.

Those who simply expressed their opinions, and those who were directly involved in planned murder, violence, destruction, arson, attacks, vandalism, damage to state property, creating panic in the lives of ordinary people, or political vendettas; these two categories should not be put in the same category.

If someone has committed a crime, if there is evidence of violence, vandalism or any other criminal offense against someone, then the calculation is different. But judging everyone the same just because they used a symbol at some point under social pressure does not send a positive message for society.

We also need to understand that politics is not the center of everyone’s life.

Those who are active in politics have a very strong political position. They analyze an issue deeply, work on an ideology for a long time. But most of the common people in the country do not follow politics in that way. They often do something under the influence of friends, emotions, social pressure or on a spur of the moment decision. Later, after understanding the reality, they change their position.

It is difficult to do politics without admitting this reality. So it is wise to admit it.

Especially if a major political party wants to survive as a party of the people in the long run, it must know how to differentiate between people. Painting everyone in the same color will only increase the division in society. But if we can move forward understanding the difference between who just went with the situation and who did the damage in a planned way, great opportunities will be created in the days ahead.

I believe that to build the Bangladesh of the future, we need more than these politics, but rather the politics of responsibility and reconciliation.

The door to return to society should be open for those who made a decision out of misunderstanding, emotion, or social pressure but later realized the reality.

On the other hand, those who were involved in abuse of power, violence, sabotage, or killing and causing harm must be brought to justice through the law in a timely manner.

If these two issues are combined, justice is also damaged, and politics is also damaged.

In a country with a diverse set of views like Bangladesh, a permanent solution is not possible without politics that includes everyone. There will be differences of opinion, political divisions, and arguments. But a person’s entire life should not be judged by a symbol, a picture, or a decision made at a time.

We should be judged based on our actions, not on our crimes. Butt is expressing his opinion, so it would be wrong to have a mentality of diminishing it completely.

Because history proves that society cannot be run for long by emotions. In the end, justice, reality, and a humane approach to people prevail.

Today, the biggest need is to clearly understand the difference between who just went along with the situation and who was really involved in the damage, instead of lumping all people with red profiles together. Only by understanding this difference can we move beyond the politics of division and move towards a more mature, more responsible, and more humane political culture.