Poet and writer Farhad Mazhar yesterday called for the removal of President Mohammed Shahabuddin and proposed that Prof Muhammad Yunus be declared the head of state.
He said the mandate for Yunus comes from the students and citizens who led the mass upsurge, which toppled Sheikh Hasina.
He was speaking at a views-exchange meeting at Dhaka Reporters Unity, organised by Rastrachinta.
He said instead of focusing on the constitution, there is a need for a “people’s framework” rooted in the spirit of the mass upsurge to lead the country.
He said colonial powers required constitutions to control their subjects.
Mazhar accused the ousted prime minister of allowing torture camps, such as Aynaghar, along with enforced disappearances and murders, to operate under the guise of constitutional legitimacy.
He underscored the need to protect the gains of the mass movement, suggesting that if Dr Yunus were to assume office [of president], he could align the country’s regulations with international laws and repeal the existing ones that contradict these standards.
Badiul Alam Majumder, secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, also questioned the validity of the current constitution.
He stressed the importance of thoroughly investigating and bringing to justice those responsible for wrongdoings over the past 16 years to end the culture of impunity in the country.
Activist Rakhal Raha suggested that the interim government should reflect the true aspirations of the students and people who brought about the mass upsurge.
He emphasised the need for a counter-narrative to challenge the narratives propagated by Awami League-affiliated cultural groups.
Poet and journalist Mahbub Morshed urged students to remain vigilant and active in the streets to ensure the movement’s outcomes benefit those who initiated it.
He also advocated for student union elections in educational institutions, especially universities, and proposed the formation of a Sangram Parishad to coordinate leadership across universities.
Prof Moshrekha Aditi Huq of Chittagong University highlighted the psychological, economic, and political challenges that lie ahead, emphasising the need to ensure law and order.
She called for amending the flaws in the current constitution and repealing repressive laws, including the Cyber Security Act.
Other notable participants included Chittagong University’s Kh Ar Raji, Dhaka University’s Prof Mohammad Azam, and journalist Faruk Wasif.
