July fighters risked lives to ‘free Bangladesh again’: Housing minister

Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher today (8 August) said those who took part in the 2024 July Mass Uprising risked their lives to “free Bangladesh again” and pledged government support for the families of those killed in Cumilla during the movement.

“We should not just say this with our words; we all have to uphold it through our actions and in our hearts,” he said at a discussion organised by the Cumilla South District BNP at Cumilla Town Hall grounds to mark the second anniversary of the July Mass Uprising.

Taher said protesters during the July Uprising had aspired to build a better Bangladesh and that the government was committed to fulfilling their aspirations.

He paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the country during the Liberation War in 1971, the 1990 anti-autocracy movement and the 2024 uprising.

“I want to assure the families of those martyred in Cumilla during the July Uprising that they will receive the same facilities and support that other martyr families receive from my ministry,” he said.

“If any martyr family has not received any facility announced by the government, please contact us. We will ensure that they receive what they are entitled to,” he added.

Speaking at the event, Cumilla-6 lawmaker Md Manirul Haque Chowdhury said the July Uprising had freed students and people from what he described as “long-standing authoritarian rule”.

“We will not allow their sacrifices to be forgotten. We believe in the spirit of July from our hearts and carry its spirit,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that the country would remain on the right track under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government.