Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the July Memorial commemorating the martyrs of the July Mass Uprising at Osmani Udyan in Dhaka today (19 october), in presence of family members of four of the martyrs.
He also inaugurated the renovated 23-acre historic Osmani Udyan, redeveloped as a modern recreational space with improved greenery, walking facilities and other amenities for the city residents.
The Prime Minister arrived at the venue at 10:00 am and inaugurated the memorial alongside Martyred Abu Sayed’s father Md Mokbul Hossain, Martyred Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho’s father Mostafizur Rahman, Martyred Shahriar Khan Anas’s mother Sanjida Khan Dipti and Martyred Wasim Akram’s father Mohammad Shafiul Alam.
The 90-feet high July Memorial, built on nearly one acre of land, bears the names of 834 martyrs of the 2024 July Mass Uprising, engraved using laser cutting, with 20 symbolic grave markers in front.
Its inner and outer relief sculptures portray Bangladesh’s history of struggles, including the Language Movement of 1952, the Mass Uprising of 1969, the Liberation War of 1971, the mass movement of 1990 and the July Mass Uprising of 2024.
The outer relief sculpture measures 163 feet in length and 4.5 feet in height, while the inner one is 171 feet long and 7.5 feet high.
The renovated Osmani Udyan features refurbished and newly built water bodies, preserved trees, new plantations and green islands.
The park includes around 3.1 kilometres of walking paths, a gymnasium, a pagoda, public toilets, parking facilities and access points to the water bodies.
A rainwater harvesting system with a capacity of 50,000 litres has also been installed, while an elevated pathway two metres above road level forms part of the park’s two-tier design.
After the inauguration, Tarique Rahman planted a sapling on the memorial premises. Later, he went round of the renovated park, including its adjacent library.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, State Minister Mir Shah-e-Alam, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam and Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton were present.
The two projects were implemented to preserve the memory of those killed during the July Mass Uprising and improve the urban environment in Dhaka.