Advisor to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Adilur Rahman Khan said, “The state was turned into a weapon against the people through the last 15 years of repressive rule of the fascist Awami League. Disappearances were a routine occurrence. Thousands of political dissidents, student leaders and journalists were abducted, tortured or permanently silenced. Many families still do not know whether their children are alive or lying in unknown graves.”
“We have gathered here today to remember, reflect and ensure accountability. May such rule in the name of fear and oppression never return to Bangladesh. We must work together to ensure justice after the fall of a repressive regime,” he said.
Advisor Adilur Rahman Khan said this at the 1st ‘International July Revolution 2024’ conference at the Senate Building of Dhaka University on Sunday (July 27, 2025). The keynote speaker at the conference was Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the daily Amar Desh newspaper. Also present were Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Mamun Ahmed, diplomat John Danilovich, prominent academicians and researchers from Turkey, Malaysia and the UK.
The advisor further said, “Various tactics including the Digital Security Act have been used to suppress the voice of elections, media and student movements. The Digital Security Act criminalizes thought. The prisons were filled with patriots, not criminals. A Facebook post would call for midnight police raids. A student with a dream, who only hoped for a better Bangladesh, was also beaten, injured or martyred, just for expressing his opinion.
The conveners of the 1st International July Revolution 2024 conference were Professor Md. Shariful Islam and Professor Muhammad Asadullah. In their speeches at the beginning of the conference, the parents of martyr Zahiduzzaman Tanveen demanded a speedy trial of the July murder and punishment of the perpetrators. In the presence of student leaders and family members of the martyrs, teachers from various universities in the country and abroad, international guests, diplomats, and human rights activists spoke at the conference.
The conference was jointly organized by Dhaka University, Research and Integrated Thought (RIT), University of Regina (Canada), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Kent State University (USA), Jagannath University, Dhaka, Center for Policy and Social Research (CPSR), International Institute of Law and Diplomacy, Sochar and Insaf.
