The government has announced that 18 July will be observed as ‘Private University Resistance Day’ to commemorate the role played by private university students during the 2024 July Uprising, which officials say marked a turning point in the mass movement.
The announcement was made by State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Engineer Ishraq Hossain at a press conference on Sunday.
He said private university students took to the streets on 18 July 2024, following the incidents of 16 and 17 July, and that four students were killed that day. According to the minister, their participation significantly altered the course of the nationwide movement.
To mark the Private University Resistance Day, a protest rally will be held at Dhaka Army Stadium, followed by a cultural programme featuring protest songs and performances.
Photo Exhibition Planned to Highlight Campus Violence
The state minister also said the government is planning a photography exhibition to commemorate the attacks on students that took place on 15 July 2024.
According to him, activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the Awami League, and alleged outsiders attacked students at several university campuses, with female students among those most affected.
The exhibition, tentatively titled “Scars of the Campus” or “The Beginning of Resistance”, may be held at the Faculty of Fine Arts, the plaza in front of the National Museum, or Shahbagh Square
Jatrabari Gathering Planned to Honour July Uprising Martyrs
Ishraq Hossain also highlighted the resistance that began in Jatrabari on 24 July 2024, saying local residents, students and a large number of madrasa students joined the movement.
He said demonstrators maintained a blockade stretching approximately 4 to 5 kilometres from Jatrabari to the Chattogram Highway for several days, during which at least 80 people were killed.
To honour those who lost their lives and preserve the historical significance of the site, the government has decided to organise a memorial meeting and public gathering in Jatrabari, he added.