Chief Adviser (CA) Professor Muhammad Yunus has called on the nation to work collectively toward establishing a genuinely democratic social system rooted in the ideals of 1969 Mass Uprising.

In a message issued on Friday ahead of the observance of 1969 Mass Uprising Day, Yunus urged citizens to uphold the values of that historic movement and reflect them in country’s political and social life.

He said the uprising remains a defining moment in Bangladesh’s long struggle for freedom and self-determination.

The chief adviser noted that the country’s independence was achieved through a series of landmark movements, including the Language Movement of 1952, the Six-Point and Eleven-Point movements, the Mass Uprising of 1969, and ultimately the Liberation War of 1971.

Recalling the events of January 1969, Yunus said the entire month was marked by intense resistance against the authoritarian rule and repression of the time. He said people from all walks of life, particularly students, joined the movement spontaneously, culminating in a powerful mass protest on January 24.

He described how protesters defied curfews to take to the streets, only to face violent crackdowns. During one such procession, Motiur Rahman Mollick, a ninth-grade student of Dhaka’s Nabakumar Institute, was killed in police firing. Yunus also recalled the deaths of Makbul, Anwar, Rustam, Milon, Alamgir and others who were martyred during the movement.

According to Yunus, the sacrifices made by these martyrs have continued to inspire generations of young people, not only in past democratic struggles but also in recent movements, including the July Uprising of 2024.

He concluded by offering prayers for the departed souls of all martyrs of Bangladesh’s liberation struggle and paying profound respect to those who laid down their lives during the 1969 Mass Uprising.