Is the Government Becoming Its Own Political Party? Questions Anis Alamgir

Journalist and analyst Anis Alamgir has raised a pointed question on social media: “Is the government becoming its own political party?” He claimed that the government is currently acting as if it has transformed into a political party, behaving in a partisan manner under the banner of the “July spirit.”

On Saturday (3 August), in a Facebook post, he stated that the government has hired eight special trains from across the country to bring students and the public to the ‘July Manifesto’ reading event at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka on 5 August. The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs is reportedly spending over 3 million taka on this.

Anis Alamgir reminded that during previous Awami League governments, trains were hired to bring crowds to party rallies. Currently, student organisations of Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP also hire trains to transport participants to their programmes — but as political parties.

Against this backdrop, he questioned,

“Political parties may hire people and vehicles, so why is the government hiring people to come?”

His post further noted that garment factories have declared a holiday on 5 August due to the event. He said,

“It is unclear whether factory owners have been instructed to send workers to this gathering. However, judging from the situation, it appears the aim is simply to gather people.”

Anis Alamgir expressed his concern,

“Is the government becoming its own political party? If so, why is it so keen to demonstrate that the ‘July spirit’ is still alive and well?”

He continued,

“Judging from attendance at the various mass uprising anniversary events organised by the government throughout July, the public’s lack of enthusiasm is evident. These events, closely associated with the government, fail to inspire. Does bringing unemployed people to rallies really serve the intended purpose?”

Towards the end of his post, he warned the government,

“The government should focus on how acceptable the July Charter is among political parties. Forcibly incorporating it into the constitution or enforcing it from 5 August 2024 — thereby granting immunity to irregularities and injustices from that date onwards — could have serious consequences in the future. A government may temporarily operate under one ideology, but a state cannot. This must be remembered.”

Anis Alamgir’s comments have sparked widespread discussion on social media, particularly regarding the government’s role and the current relevance of the “July spirit.”