In a Facebook status posted from his verified account late Thursday night (August 6), he elaborated on the matter.
Nahid Islam wrote, "July was the movement of all people. People outside politics, those with an 'I hate politics' mindset, swing voters, laborers, students—people from all walks of life came together to make this movement successful. And it was to express gratitude to those people that I personally sent messages."
He began his status by greeting everyone on the July Revolution and expressed hope that everyone is enjoying the freedom achieved through the blood and sweat of martyrs including Colonel Gulzar, Rehan Ahsan, Abrar Fahad, Abu Sayeed, Wasim, Tahir Zaman Priyo, Ria Gop, and Sharif Osman Hadi.
He said he had been thinking for some time about those unknown people—who prayed for him, posted statuses for him, sang songs for his release, and painted pictures. He mentioned small-scale entrepreneurs who offered water bottles on the streets, rickshaw-van drivers who took the injured to hospitals, doctors who treated wounded brothers secretly, and many others he does not know. He also mentioned youth who understand nothing beyond PlayStation and cryptocurrency, girls whose lives are limited to Kiyoshi and Crimson Cup, those who never thought of government jobs, and even students like Shaheed Ahnad from BAF Shaheen College who were too young for student politics—all of them, like Ababil birds, descended and brought freedom.
However, he lamented, "After July, most of them have returned home. They are not in any political party. But we politicians have divided July among political parties—BNP's share, NCP's share, Jamaat's share—this is how the stakes of July have been and are being shared. But July was not just about political parties and leaders; it was about all people—the apolitical population, the 'I hate politics' population, swing voters—everyone. Without their participation, July would never have succeeded. Now they are nowhere to be found in rallies, meetings, seminars, or receptions; they remain at home."
Nahid Islam said he had been thinking about what could be done to express gratitude to these people who returned home empty-handed after July. With that in mind, he sent gratitude messages over the past two days as much as possible. Many may have received his messages, while others may have missed them as they went to the spam folder. Due to closed messaging options, he could not text some despite his desire.
He said, "I wish I could text all 16 crore revolutionaries of Bangladesh, shake hands with them, and express my gratitude. But due to human limitations, it is not possible to contact everyone—for which I apologize. Countless mothers, grandmothers, sisters, workers, remittance warriors, scholars, journalists, teachers, lawyers, artists, soldiers, army officers, madrasa students, school-college-university students, expats, and professionals—they are all the owners and creators of July. Although I could not message everyone, I 'feel' each of you, and I am sincerely sorry to those who did not receive my message. But rest assured, I have not forgotten you."
At the end of his status, he admitted that many dreams remain unfulfilled after July and that the expected changes are still far away. He said, "We acknowledge our limitations in efforts and could not achieve much due to multifaceted obstacles. But believe us, we are committed to continuing the struggle to establish a new Bangladesh until our last breath. Keep your trust in us. We humbly call upon you to try your best in rebuilding the Bangladesh of July's aspirations. Be vocal again whenever the country and the nation need you. Keep July alive."
