ইসলম গণতনতর ও পরচলত গণতনতর: পরকষত 24 এর জলই [Islamic Democracy and Conventional Democracy: The Perspective of July 2024]

Abstract Every freedom-loving person wishes to live independently and peacefully in their own country. No one wishes for political violence, chaos, or instability. Yet, leaders who are deeply entrenched in the greed for power often resort to unethical tactics to gain or cling to power, establishing a reign of terror and disorder across the nation. While the lack of accountability or the inaction of the judiciary is frequently cited as the primary cause, in truth, multiple factors are involved including moral decay and the prioritization of personal interests over national welfare. Although modern democracies claim to uphold the noble ideal that "there is no discrimination among people; all human beings are equal," in practice, most democratic states continue to be plagued by selfish pursuits of personal gain hidden behind the mask of power. As a result, despite the existence of policies and regulations on paper that are meant to serve public interest, citizens often receive no tangible benefits from the democratic process beyond the formal ritual of electing representatives at fixed intervals. In some cases, even the right to criticize or remove elected representatives for failing to uphold democratic ideals is taken away from the people. In contrast, the Islamic system of governance, especially during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (Khulafāʾ al-Rāshidūn), was characterized by the full implementation of democratic values, including the public's right to critique their rulers. Consequently, the principles of Islamic democracy continue to stand as exemplary and worthy of emulation for all nations. The abandonment of these ideals has led to severe political instability in various countries. As a result, oppressed populations rise in protest against their rulers. The July Revolution of 2024 in Bangladesh was essentially a struggle of a deprived population demanding their rights. Years of deviation from democratic ideals by the ruling class including the suppression of freedom of speech and the closing of avenues for public criticism forced the oppressed people to break free from the chains of exploitation and take to the streets in protest. Eventually, the authoritarian government was compelled to relinquish power. Even though the downfall of the autocracy came through a mass uprising, the aspirations of the people remained unchanged. Once a population experiences the taste of empowerment, they yearn to relive it. The newly formed government, in turn, adopted people-centric and welfare-oriented measures to restore political stability by fulfilling public demands and ensuring just rights essentially reflecting the teachings of Islamic democracy. Therefore, following Islamic principles of governance could be an effective tool for establishing peace and outlining a true democratic framework — not just in Bangladesh, but in other parts of the world facing ongoing violence and political unrest.