Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday inaugurated the newly built July Uprising Memorial bearing the names of 834 martyrs of the 2024 mass uprising, and the modernised historic Osmani Udyan in the capital.
The Prime Minister arrived at the venue around 10am and inaugurated the memorial along with family members of some of the martyrs of the July Uprising.
They included Abu Sayed’s father Md Mokbul Hossain, Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho’s father Mostafizur Rahman, Shahriar Khan Anas’s mother Sanjida Khan Dipti and Wasim Akram’s father Mohammad Shafiul Alam.
A munajat was offered, seeking forgiveness and eternal peace for the souls of those killed in the July mass uprising and praying for the wellbeing of the country and its people.
After the inauguration, Tarique planted a sapling on the memorial premises.
He later formally inaugurated the modernised Osmani Udyan, toured the park and visited the library built beside it.
The Prime Minister later attended a public gathering.
The park was opened to the public following the inauguration ceremony and the public gathering after nearly a decade.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) 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 July mass uprising martyrs and improve the urban environment and public recreational facilities in the capital.
July memorial bears names of 834 martyrs
The 90-foot-high July Uprising Memorial has been built on nearly one acre of land to preserve the memory of the July martyrs.
The names of 834 martyrs have been engraved on the structure using laser-cutting technology, while 20 symbolic tombstones have been placed in front of it.
The memorial features relief sculptures on both its outer and inner sides. The outer relief sculpture is 163 feet long and 4.5 feet high, while the inner one is 171 feet long and 7.5 feet high.
The relief sculptures portray Bangladesh’s history of movements and 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.
Osmani Udyan modernised as public recreational space
The historic 23-acre Osmani Udyan, located at the junction of old and new Dhaka, has been modernised and developed into a green, safe and contemporary recreational space for city residents.
As part of the project, the existing water body was renovated and five new water bodies were built.
Existing trees were preserved, while new trees were planted and green islands created to enhance the park’s greenery.
The park now has around 3.1 kilometres of walking paths, a gymnasium, a pagoda, public toilets, parking facilities and access points along the water bodies.
A rainwater harvesting system with a capacity of 50,000 litres has also been installed.
The park has been arranged on two levels, with an elevated walkway about two metres above road level to allow people to move through the area more easily.
The modernisation is intended to provide residents with a greener and safer public space for walking, exercise and recreation.