July Memorial Museum to open soon: Minister

Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury has said the July Memorial Museum will be opened very soon, with all necessary preparations completed and a new management committee constituted.

Speaking while responding to questions from journalists after visiting Cumilla’s Mainamati Museum and Shalban Vihara this morning (10 July), he said the museum’s committee had remained “somewhat disorganised” during the tenure of the interim government.

“A new committee has now been formed, and the matter has been approved in parliament,” he said.

“The July museum will be inaugurated very soon. A press conference will be held to announce the opening and provide further details,” he said.

The minister said the erstwhile Awami League government had destroyed the country’s cultural heritage.

He alleged that over the past 18 to 20 years, sectors including education, arts and culture, as well as the judiciary, had suffered significant setbacks.

“There was no regard for public opinion, elections became a farce, and hundreds of billions of taka were looted, crippling the banking and insurance sectors,” he said.

He added that the current government is working relentlessly to restore the country’s lost heritage and preserve its cultural assets.

During the visit, the minister inspected various archaeological artefacts at the Mainamati Museum and toured the historic Shalban Vihara.