Monday, 04 August, 2025
July in Bangladesh has never been just another page on the calendar. It is the crucible of our national memory—a season of awakening, when sorrow and hope burn side by side. Today, as The Bangladesh Express marks its 31st anniversary, we extend our deepest gratitude to our loyal readers, supportive patrons, and principled advertisers. Without your conviction, our journey from a modest bi-weekly magazine in July 1994 to a nationally recognized English daily would have dimmed under pressure or faded into the noise of conformity.
And yet, this July 2025 is no ordinary commemoration. The nation mourns the tragic deaths of schoolchildren in Uttara—a poignant reminder that progress always demands vigilance and accountability. Side by side with our grief is a flicker of anticipation: the interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, is preparing to announce the date for the next general election. For generations battered by authoritarian drift and ossified by political inertia, this moment, if seized, could mark not just a return to the ballot but a reckoning with the very idea of Bangladeshi freedom.
One year ago, July 2024, tens of thousands surged into the heart of Dhaka and beyond. They were students, workers, academics, and the uncounted: not merely rallying for another election, but demanding justice, economic dignity, and a society rescued from elite impunity. Their disciplined uprising, now etched in memory as the July Revolution, rekindled hopes long dismissed as naïve. It revealed, with breathtaking clarity, that Bangladeshi youth had not surrendered their faith in a country for all, not just the connected few.
At The Bangladesh Express—a voice for FREEDOM since its inception—we have not watched history from behind the glass. We have stood with its marchers, chronicled its martyrs, and shone light on those moments when the silent claimed their voice. On this milestone, we must confront an urgent question: will the spirit of last July ignite a lasting transformation, or will it flicker out amid political expediency and economic despair?
Leadership Crossroads in the Wake of July
The next Prime Minister, whoever emerges from the looming vote, will not simply inherit office—they will inherit a nation battered, yet unbroken. The table is piled with unfinished business: endemic corruption, economic precariousness, eroding public trust, and a volatile global context. Our state machinery, burdened by patronage and stale hierarchies, is in dire need of reinvention. Slogans alone will not suffice. What the country needs is vision—and the discipline to see it through.
There are those who, even now, nurse a cautious optimism. If the election is free and fair, it could launch Bangladesh into a new era. One widely discussed scenario envisions the return of the BNP to power, with Tarique Rahman—after years in London exile—positioned as the people's choice for Prime Minister. Considered controversial and charismatic in equal measure, Tarique has seen both the labyrinth of Bangladeshi politics and the relative transparency of Western democratic life. His pitch for a national unity government has kindled hope that old wounds might at last begin to heal. But hope is a currency quickly devalued when unaccompanied by action.
It is no secret that segments of the BNP have long been tarnished by alleged corruption and rent-seeking, just as their rivals have. If Tarique Rahman is to embody the promise of the July Revolution rather than repeat past mistakes, he must make institutional housekeeping top priority. And not the half-hearted housecleaning to which Bangladeshis have grown all too accustomed. He must go beyond brooms. He must employ bulldozers. If his administration simply trades one clique for another, perpetuating the cycles of vengeance and enrichment, the fruits of July 2024’s courage will rot on the vine.
If Tarique Rahman is to embody the promise of the July Revolution rather than repeat past mistakes, he must make institutional housekeeping top priority. And not the half-hearted housecleaning to which Bangladeshis have grown all too accustomed. He must go beyond brooms. He must employ bulldozers.
The Democracy-Economy Double Bind
Political renewal alone cannot rescue Bangladesh. The nation faces a historic squeeze: inflation is crushing household budgets, food security is fraying, and over three million people are projected to slip into extreme poverty by year’s end—a jarring rise that should shock the conscience. The supposed improvement in the current account deficit is a fragile achievement, owed less to economic dynamism than to import restrictions and sporadic surges in remittance inflows.
The garment sector, pillar of our export earnings and the dignity of millions of workers, faces headwinds—from rising tariffs, sluggish global demand, and automation. Informal jobs that once acted as shock absorbers are vanishing; the social safety nets, hollowed by inflation and shrinking coverage, cannot fill the void.
This is not the portrait of an economy in recovery. It is the biography of an economy at risk of breakdown. If the next Prime Minister cannot deliver quick, visible relief—curbing inflation, protecting the poor, and restoring jobs—the window for democratic renewal may slam shut, trapping the spirit of July beneath the same old disappointments.
The next Prime Minister, whoever emerges from the looming vote, will not simply inherit office—they will inherit a nation battered, yet unbroken. The table is piled with unfinished business: endemic corruption, economic precariousness, eroding public trust, and a volatile global context.
The Guardrails of Reform
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, interim Chief Adviser, struck a sombre note last weekend when he warned of “defeated forces” conspiring to steal Bangladesh’s democratic moment yet again. His plea for unity among democratic actors is timely, but unity cannot be willed into being by exhortation alone. It must be earned by inclusive practice, credible guarantees, and a relentless commitment to transparency.
Founding President Ziaur Rahman’s dream—that governance must root itself in the villages, not just the capital—remains both unfinished and urgent. The next government, whether led by BNP or any other coalition, must remember that Bangladesh’s diversity is its lifeblood, not its burden. Only a truly inclusive national movement—one that represents ethnic minorities, women, the rural poor, and those shut out by region or religion—can break the spell of zero-sum politics.
For Tarique Rahman, or whichever credible leader emerges, the real challenge of July will not be to consolidate power, but to decentralise it. To institutionalise reform so that it cannot be easily undone. To replace the politics of vengeance with genuine reconciliation. And to recognize that the future will be shaped not by the most strident slogans, but by tangible progress in the lives of ordinary Bangladeshis.
A Media’s Mission—And a Nation’s Choice
Over the last three decades, The Bangladesh Express has not merely chronicled these tides. We have challenged the status quo, exposed corruption, and demanded accountability from those in power—whatever their banner. We have born witness to times when speaking the truth was a dangerous act; we have weathered the blackouts, the silences forced by state repression, the temptations of easy propaganda and clickbait. But the founding spirit of this paper has remained unyielding: that the independence of Bangladesh is measured not only in its birth, but in whether its people possess the liberty to know, question, and hope.
This, too, has been the spirit of July. An insistence that freedom means more than the absence of chains—it means the freedom to love and live without fear, to dissent without reprisal, and to dream beyond assigned boundaries.
As we look ahead, the crossroads is unmistakable. History’s wheel is turning, and Bangladesh is being offered a rare second chance—to prove that last July’s revolution was not the apex of its aspiration, but the first note of a more enduring freedom. But national memory is a fickle companion. Lessons can be lost as quickly as they are learned if cynicism, complacency, or compromise crowd out conviction.
The Final Reckoning
July demands much, and forgives little. The fiery courage of students in 2024 has placed a bold challenge before whoever would be Prime Minister in 2025 and beyond: Will you defend the dream that drove millions to the streets, or will you betray it for a seat at the table of power?
The hour of easy promises is over. The challenges ahead are formidable—but so were those that birthed a nation in 1971, revived it in 1990, and awoke it once more in July 2024.
To our readers, partners, and all who cherish Bangladesh’s future, The Bangladesh Express renews its pledge: we will continue to hold power to account, elevate principled voices, and record the country’s triumphs and scars. In so doing, we honour those who have fallen and inspire those who still dare.
Only time will reveal which course Bangladesh will choose. But this much is certain: the flames of July will continue to test us, demanding neither perfection nor purity—but the unshakable courage to begin again. The next Prime Minister must heed the mandate of July and rise to its spirit.
Our history offers few second chances. Let us not, as a nation, waste this one. Let the answer to July’s test be worthy of the struggle that gave it birth.
The fire endures. May its light find us ready.
( The writer is the Editor of THE BANGLADESH EXPRESS).
Comments
July in Bangladesh has never been just another page on the calendar. It is the crucible of our national memory—a season of awakening, when sorrow and hope burn side by side. Today, as The Bangladesh Express marks its 31st anniversary, we extend our deepest gratitude to our loyal readers, supportive patrons, and principled advertisers. Without your conviction, our journey from a modest bi-weekly magazine in July 1994 to a nationally recognized English daily would have dimmed under pressure or faded into the noise of conformity.
And yet, this July 2025 is no ordinary commemoration. The nation mourns the tragic deaths of schoolchildren in Uttara—a poignant reminder that progress always demands vigilance and accountability. Side by side with our grief is a flicker of anticipation: the interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, is preparing to announce the date for the next general election. For generations battered by authoritarian drift and ossified by political inertia, this moment, if seized, could mark not just a return to the ballot but a reckoning with the very idea of Bangladeshi freedom.
One year ago, July 2024, tens of thousands surged into the heart of Dhaka and beyond. They were students, workers, academics, and the uncounted: not merely rallying for another election, but demanding justice, economic dignity, and a society rescued from elite impunity. Their disciplined uprising, now etched in memory as the July Revolution, rekindled hopes long dismissed as naïve. It revealed, with breathtaking clarity, that Bangladeshi youth had not surrendered their faith in a country for all, not just the connected few.
At The Bangladesh Express—a voice for FREEDOM since its inception—we have not watched history from behind the glass. We have stood with its marchers, chronicled its martyrs, and shone light on those moments when the silent claimed their voice. On this milestone, we must confront an urgent question: will the spirit of last July ignite a lasting transformation, or will it flicker out amid political expediency and economic despair?
Leadership Crossroads in the Wake of July
The next Prime Minister, whoever emerges from the looming vote, will not simply inherit office—they will inherit a nation battered, yet unbroken. The table is piled with unfinished business: endemic corruption, economic precariousness, eroding public trust, and a volatile global context. Our state machinery, burdened by patronage and stale hierarchies, is in dire need of reinvention. Slogans alone will not suffice. What the country needs is vision—and the discipline to see it through.
There are those who, even now, nurse a cautious optimism. If the election is free and fair, it could launch Bangladesh into a new era. One widely discussed scenario envisions the return of the BNP to power, with Tarique Rahman—after years in London exile—positioned as the people's choice for Prime Minister. Considered controversial and charismatic in equal measure, Tarique has seen both the labyrinth of Bangladeshi politics and the relative transparency of Western democratic life. His pitch for a national unity government has kindled hope that old wounds might at last begin to heal. But hope is a currency quickly devalued when unaccompanied by action.
It is no secret that segments of the BNP have long been tarnished by alleged corruption and rent-seeking, just as their rivals have. If Tarique Rahman is to embody the promise of the July Revolution rather than repeat past mistakes, he must make institutional housekeeping top priority. And not the half-hearted housecleaning to which Bangladeshis have grown all too accustomed. He must go beyond brooms. He must employ bulldozers. If his administration simply trades one clique for another, perpetuating the cycles of vengeance and enrichment, the fruits of July 2024’s courage will rot on the vine.
If Tarique Rahman is to embody the promise of the July Revolution rather than repeat past mistakes, he must make institutional housekeeping top priority. And not the half-hearted housecleaning to which Bangladeshis have grown all too accustomed. He must go beyond brooms. He must employ bulldozers.
The Democracy-Economy Double Bind
Political renewal alone cannot rescue Bangladesh. The nation faces a historic squeeze: inflation is crushing household budgets, food security is fraying, and over three million people are projected to slip into extreme poverty by year’s end—a jarring rise that should shock the conscience. The supposed improvement in the current account deficit is a fragile achievement, owed less to economic dynamism than to import restrictions and sporadic surges in remittance inflows.
The garment sector, pillar of our export earnings and the dignity of millions of workers, faces headwinds—from rising tariffs, sluggish global demand, and automation. Informal jobs that once acted as shock absorbers are vanishing; the social safety nets, hollowed by inflation and shrinking coverage, cannot fill the void.
This is not the portrait of an economy in recovery. It is the biography of an economy at risk of breakdown. If the next Prime Minister cannot deliver quick, visible relief—curbing inflation, protecting the poor, and restoring jobs—the window for democratic renewal may slam shut, trapping the spirit of July beneath the same old disappointments.
The next Prime Minister, whoever emerges from the looming vote, will not simply inherit office—they will inherit a nation battered, yet unbroken. The table is piled with unfinished business: endemic corruption, economic precariousness, eroding public trust, and a volatile global context.
The Guardrails of Reform
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, interim Chief Adviser, struck a sombre note last weekend when he warned of “defeated forces” conspiring to steal Bangladesh’s democratic moment yet again. His plea for unity among democratic actors is timely, but unity cannot be willed into being by exhortation alone. It must be earned by inclusive practice, credible guarantees, and a relentless commitment to transparency.
Founding President Ziaur Rahman’s dream—that governance must root itself in the villages, not just the capital—remains both unfinished and urgent. The next government, whether led by BNP or any other coalition, must remember that Bangladesh’s diversity is its lifeblood, not its burden. Only a truly inclusive national movement—one that represents ethnic minorities, women, the rural poor, and those shut out by region or religion—can break the spell of zero-sum politics.
For Tarique Rahman, or whichever credible leader emerges, the real challenge of July will not be to consolidate power, but to decentralise it. To institutionalise reform so that it cannot be easily undone. To replace the politics of vengeance with genuine reconciliation. And to recognize that the future will be shaped not by the most strident slogans, but by tangible progress in the lives of ordinary Bangladeshis.
A Media’s Mission—And a Nation’s Choice
Over the last three decades, The Bangladesh Express has not merely chronicled these tides. We have challenged the status quo, exposed corruption, and demanded accountability from those in power—whatever their banner. We have born witness to times when speaking the truth was a dangerous act; we have weathered the blackouts, the silences forced by state repression, the temptations of easy propaganda and clickbait. But the founding spirit of this paper has remained unyielding: that the independence of Bangladesh is measured not only in its birth, but in whether its people possess the liberty to know, question, and hope.
This, too, has been the spirit of July. An insistence that freedom means more than the absence of chains—it means the freedom to love and live without fear, to dissent without reprisal, and to dream beyond assigned boundaries.
As we look ahead, the crossroads is unmistakable. History’s wheel is turning, and Bangladesh is being offered a rare second chance—to prove that last July’s revolution was not the apex of its aspiration, but the first note of a more enduring freedom. But national memory is a fickle companion. Lessons can be lost as quickly as they are learned if cynicism, complacency, or compromise crowd out conviction.
The Final Reckoning
July demands much, and forgives little. The fiery courage of students in 2024 has placed a bold challenge before whoever would be Prime Minister in 2025 and beyond: Will you defend the dream that drove millions to the streets, or will you betray it for a seat at the table of power?
The hour of easy promises is over. The challenges ahead are formidable—but so were those that birthed a nation in 1971, revived it in 1990, and awoke it once more in July 2024.
To our readers, partners, and all who cherish Bangladesh’s future, The Bangladesh Express renews its pledge: we will continue to hold power to account, elevate principled voices, and record the country’s triumphs and scars. In so doing, we honour those who have fallen and inspire those who still dare.
Only time will reveal which course Bangladesh will choose. But this much is certain: the flames of July will continue to test us, demanding neither perfection nor purity—but the unshakable courage to begin again. The next Prime Minister must heed the mandate of July and rise to its spirit.
Our history offers few second chances. Let us not, as a nation, waste this one. Let the answer to July’s test be worthy of the struggle that gave it birth.
The fire endures. May its light find us ready.
( The writer is the Editor of THE BANGLADESH EXPRESS).
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