Staff Correspondent:

National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz on Monday said the anti-discrimination students’ movement was started against fascism in the July of 2024, and the events of July 14 gave a new turn to that movement.

In the wake of the insulting statements made against the participants of the anti-discrimination student movement, female students from various universities, especially Dhaka University, took to the streets at midnight, he said.

“The strong voice of women accelerated the movement against that disgrace, and the fascist regime was forced to retreat in the face of resistance of all,” Prof Ali Riaz said while speaking at the beginning of the 13th day of the second phase of the talks being held between the political parties and the Commission at the Foreign Service Academy here.

The meeting was also attended by Commission members Justice Emdadul Haque, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Dr Md Ayub Mia, Dr Iftekharuzzaman and Safar Raj Hossain and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider.

Stating that the Ministry of Culture has marked July 14 as ‘July Women’s Day’ by honouring the active participation of women in the anti-discrimination student movement, Prof Ali Riaz said women must be given an institutional framework in state building.

He stressed paying a way for women to participate with dignity in politics, state building and lawmaking.

Prof Ali Riaz expressed hope of reaching a consensus on this issue.

Representatives of 30 political parties, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Gana Sanghati, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, are participating in today’s discussion.

The issues of women’s representation and bicameral legislature are scheduled to be discussed in the meeting on Monday a Commission press release said.