Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram has said the July Museum will serve as a permanent archive of the country’s resistance to authoritarian rule and stand as a source of inspiration for generations to come.
After touring the July Mass Uprising Museum on Tuesday, the Speaker told reporters that the institution would safeguard the legacy of popular struggles against autocracy.
He said the museum ensures that the story of public resistance will not fade with time.
According to Hafiz Uddin, the exhibits document what he described as repression, violence and deaths that occurred during 16 years of controversial elections under former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He said the accounts presented in the museum highlight a period marked by political unrest and disputed governance.
He paid tribute to individuals including Abu Sayed, Mugdha and Wasim, whose deaths during the July August uprising have become symbols of protest. Their sacrifices, he said, would continue to motivate citizens committed to democratic ideals.
He also criticised what he called insincere expressions of sympathy shown to families of the disappeared during the previous administration.
The Speaker placed the July uprising within a broader historical context, noting that from 1971 to 2024, ordinary citizens played decisive roles in democratic and anti authoritarian movements.
He described the July protests as an example of collective sacrifice that would resonate beyond Bangladesh’s borders.
Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal said the museum reflects what he termed the nation’s break from fascism and honours young protesters who lost their lives in the effort to restore democratic governance.
During their visit, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury explored several sections of the museum. One of the featured installations, titled Long Walk to Democracy, presents photographs chronicling major political developments between 1971 and 1991.
The delegation also examined murals, graffiti and archival materials related to the July uprising, as well as summaries of killings linked to the quota reform and anti discrimination protests from July 1 to 36, 2024. Memorial displays commemorate events such as the 2009 Pilkhana killings, the Shapla Chattar clashes, the Safe Roads Movement and the death of student Abrar Fahad.
Among the artefacts on display were personal belongings and bloodstained clothing of victims, including a shirt worn by Saudi expatriate Abu Ishaq and a miniature model of the National Parliament building crafted by Zahiduzzaman Tanvin, who was killed during the unrest. Observers at the site were visibly moved by the exhibits.
Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury said the July Museum is expected to open to the public by late July or early August this year, offering citizens and visitors an opportunity to engage with a pivotal chapter in Bangladesh’s political history.
