Revolution wouldn't be possible easily without metro fire, police attacks: Coordinator Hasibul
This revolution would not have been achieved so easily if the metro had not been set on fire, or if the police had not been attacked, said Hasibul Islam, a coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, during a talk show on television channel DBC.
The video of the programme, titled "Projotone Bangladesh," was released on DBC's YouTube channel on Saturday. The discussion focused on the topic, "How much of a challenge is national unity?" and featured BNP leader Nilufar Chowdhury Moni alongside Hasibul.
During the talk show, presenter Jhumi Rahman questioned Hasibul about the controversy surrounding the president's resignation. "When you took the oath before the president, was it not a compromise?" she asked.
Responding to the question, Hasibul said, "Look, there was no compromise then. We did not declare that our revolution, which led to the formation of the government, was over.
"In our one-point demand, we highlighted three things: the fall of fascism, and the complete elimination of the fascist system. At that time, only the fall of fascism was achieved. The other two goals remain, which means our struggle is ongoing. Our revolution is not over."
Elaborating further, Hasibul added, "Whether we call it a revolution or a mass uprising, it did not follow any constitutional rules or laws. Had we followed the law, these revolutions would not have happened.
"In this case, all revolutions in history have taken place outside of the constitution or the law. If the metro had not been set on fire, or if the police had not been attacked, then this revolution would not have been achieved so easily. The fall of fascism could not have been ensured."
He defended actions taken during the movement, arguing, "That is why I do not believe it is logical to criticise deviations from the law in a revolution or uprising."
Hasibul also criticised the BNP for their lack of effectiveness in resisting what he described as a fascist regime.
"If the BNP had demonstrated their abilities properly over the past 15 years, then fascism could not have oppressed the people of the country in this way for so long," he said.
Reiterating his commitment to the movement, Hasibul added, "We have achieved the fall of fascism because we conducted this movement with passion. We want to remain uncompromising on the president's resignation.
"The people of Bangladesh do not want to accept talks about creating a vacuum in constitutional posts or a political vacuum. The resignation of the president has now become a life-and-death demand of the people of Bangladesh."