Ziauddin Liton

August 7, 2021, was identified as a change day in the history of Bangladesh. On that day, under the strong pressure of the students and the general public, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and her cabinet was broken. This unprecedented incident originated from the quota reform movement, which later turned into a non-cooperation movement.

Specifically, on July 7, the brutal murder of Abu Saeed, a student at Begum Rokeya University, added a new dimension to the movement. After the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and deportation, Bangladesh faced a constitutional crisis, in which Dr. Muhammad Yunus was formed by the chief adviser to form an interim government.
Movement, struggle and revolution for change in human history have taken place at different times. But the nature, scope and purpose of each event are different. Many want to explain the August 5 incident as a mass uprising, student movement or general struggle, but it was actually a revolution. We need to analyze the definition of our movements, struggles and revolution to understand why it is not called a coup, movement or struggle and why it is a revolution.

The movement is an organized effort to achieve a specific claim, where the demands are usually raised in peaceful ways. For example, the Independence Movement of India, the US Civil Rights Movement of 3-5 or the language movement of Bangladesh of Bangladesh.

The struggle is a preventive effort in demanding rights, which can sometimes take violent form. It is governed against the existing governance and developed over time. For example, the pre-French Rebel struggle, the War of Liberation of Vietnam and the War of Liberation of Bangladesh (1971).

The coup is a sudden political change, where a section of the military or the ruling group revolts against the government and occupies the rule. It is mostly taken up in a short period of time and managed to remove the governance. For example, the military coup that took place in Bangladesh in 1975, the Chilean military coup of 1973 and the coup of Egypt on the 2013.

The revolution is a sudden and extensive change that completely changes the political, social or economic structure. This usually occurs in a short period of time and has a lasting impact. For example, the French Revolution of 1789, the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Islamic Revolution of Iran of 1979.

Analyzing the events of August 5, it is understood that it was not limited to any movement or struggle. Rather, it was a sudden and widespread change, which changed the political structure of the country into one push. The revolution usually brings great changes in a moment, where the movement and the struggle lasts for a long time. The August 5 event suddenly created a new reality, which would not have been possible through general movements or struggles.

A revolution is not only a political change, it also causes social and cultural changes. The change in the political structure of Bangladesh after August 7 would not have been possible through general movement or struggle. One of the main features of the revolution is that it creates new governance or structure. After August 7, a new administrative structure has been formed by breaking the old governance structure, which has taken it out of the coup or movement.

Looking at the French Revolution, it was seen that it completely changed the political and social structure of France. The democratic system began by ending the monarchy. Similarly, on the 5th of August, an existing regime changed, which would not have been possible to achieve through step -by -step movement.

If we compare the Russian Revolution with August 5, it is seen that the Russian Revolution (1917) Jar established a new political system by the fall of Russia ruled. It came up with a sudden and wide change. The incident on August 5, likewise, broke the previous governance and gave rise to a new political reality.

If the incident on August 5 was called the coup, it would have been considered only as a force of power and the existing structure would have remained unchanged. But in reality it has given birth to a whole new governance and structure, not just the possession of power.

Thus, there is no opportunity to see the August 5 event as a general mass uprising, movement or struggle. It was a revolution, which has suddenly taken place and has changed drastically in the political, social and administrative structure of the country. Therefore, this event should be evaluated as a revolution in the real sense without being bound within the limits of movement or struggle.

The writer is a, teacher, journalist and columnist