Desk Report:
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has inaugurated the ‘July Memorial,’ constructed to preserve the memory of those who fell during the July Mass Uprising and to enhance the urban environment of the capital. Concurrently, he also inaugurated the modernization project for the city’s historic Osmani Udyan (Osmani Park).
On Monday (October 19) at 10:00 AM, the Prime Minister arrived at Osmani Udyan and inaugurated the memorial in the company of family members of those martyred during the July Mass Uprising.
Present on the occasion were Md. Mokbul Hossain, father of martyr Abu Sayed; Mostafizur Rahman, father of martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho; Sanjida Khan Dipti, mother of martyr Shahriar Khan Anas; and Mohammad Shafiul Alam, father of martyr Wasim Akram.
Following the inauguration, the Prime Minister planted a sapling on the memorial grounds. He later toured the modernized Osmani Udyan and visited the library established within the park.
Also present at the event were Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmad; Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Abdul Moyeen Khan; State Minister Mir Shahe Alam; Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister A. B. M. Abdus Sattar; Administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation Abdus Salam; and Administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton.
Names of 834 Martyrs Inscribed on the Memorial
To commemorate those who sacrificed their lives during the July 2024 Mass Uprising, a 90-foot-tall ‘July Memorial’ has been constructed, spanning an area of approximately one acre. The names of 834 martyrs have been inscribed on the structure using laser-cutting technology. In front of the memorial, 20 symbolic tombstones have been placed.
The memorial features relief sculptures—a 163-foot-long, 4.5-foot-high section on the exterior, and a 171-foot-long, 7.5-foot-high section on the interior. These sculptures depict the continuous history of Bangladesh’s significant movements and struggles, including the Language Movement of 1952, the Mass Uprising of 1969, the Great Liberation War of 1971, the Mass Movement of 1990, and the Mass Uprising of July 2024.
Osmani Udyan Developed as a Modern Urban Recreational Space
Located at the junction of Old and New Dhaka, the historic 23-acre Osmani Udyan has been transformed into a modern, green, and safe urban recreational space.
As part of the modernization project, the park’s existing water body was renovated, and five new water bodies were constructed. Existing vegetation has been preserved, complemented by new tree plantations and the creation of ‘green islands.’
The park now features approximately 3.1 kilometers of walking paths, an outdoor gym, a pagoda, public restrooms, parking facilities, and ghats (steps/landings) along the water bodies. Additionally, a rainwater harvesting system with a capacity of 50,000 liters has been installed.
Designed in two tiers, the park also includes an elevated pathway—situated two meters above the road level—intended for faster movement.
Through these projects, initiatives have been taken to both preserve the memory of the martyrs of the July Mass Uprising and provide the capital’s residents with an improved green environment and recreational facilities.
