United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is observing the "July Mass Uprising Day" on Tuesday, marking one year of the fall of the Hasina-led government amid a student-led mass uprising that changed the nation’s political course. To commemorate the occasion, the interim government, political parties and socio-cultural organisations have arranged a series of programmes to honour the sacrifices of those including students who took to the streets against misrule and autocracy. Tuesday’s observance will include tributes, processions and cultural performances, highlighting the importance of the day. On June 26, the government announced August 5 as 'July Uprising Day'.The day is a public holiday. The interim government formed a 36-member national committee to oversee the observance of mass uprising days in July and August and marking the anniversary of the movement. Besides, a 36-day long programme was observed from July 1 to August 5 to mark the anniversary. The July declaration will be presented to the nation at 5pm at Manik Mia Avenue at 5pm today. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will read out the July Declaration. Bangladesh Television will broadcast the event live. The July Declaration was finalised by the interim government after consultation with the political parties. These major parties have agreed to grant the declaration official and constitutional recognition. Law Adviser slams Hasina’s rule, claims she lacked understanding of State concept In a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon, the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, wrote: “On Tuesday, 5 August, 2025, at 5:00pm, the July Declaration will be presented to the nation in the presence of all parties involved in the mass uprising.” A grand public event will be held on Tuesday on Manik Mia Avenue in the capital, featuring cultural performances, a symbolic celebration of the fall of fascism, the historic reading of the July Declaration, and a special drone drama titled 'Do You Miss Me?' among daylong festivities.Organised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and managed by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) with support from the Bangladesh National Parliament Secretariat, the event will begin at 11am and run throughout the day. The cultural programme will kick off with performances by the band Tong, including songs like ‘July-er Puthi Gaan’, ‘Ami Chitkar Kore Kadite Chahiya’, and ‘Teesta Bachan, Dhobla Bachan’. This will be followed by Saimum Shilpigoshthi performing revolutionary songs including ‘Jegei Jokhon Uthechho Bondhu’, ‘Ei Andolon Sofol Hobe’, ‘Aay Tarunno Aay’, and ‘Boichhey Batash Boiree’.The highlight of the evening will be a special drone drama titled 'Do You Miss Me?' from 7:30pm to 8pm. Authored by The Anonymous and jointly presented by the Governments of Bangladesh and China, the show will feature 2,000 drones recreating key moments and slogans from the July Uprising, showcasing scenes of student and public mobilisation that led to the eventual victory. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Monday issued a traffic advisory for city residents ahead of ‘July Mass Uprising Day’. Prof Yunus urges Social Services Department to modernise systems, prioritise girls BNP will hold victory rallies in all upazilas and thanas on Tuesday and in all districts and metropolitan cities across the country on Wednesday, marking the first anniversary of the fall of fascism and the victory of students and the masses in the July Uprising. Earlier on June 26, the BNP announced a 36-day-long programme titled ‘July-August Uprising: Mourning and Victory Observance’ to mark the first anniversary of the July-August mass uprising, which led to the ousting of autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina from power on August 5, 2024. President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus issued separate messages ahead of the day. President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Monday said the fascist roots must be uprooted and the spirit of July be fully realised to build a happy and prosperous Bangladesh. “The July Uprising was an outburst of the youth and the masses against longstanding deprivation, misrule, corruption, looting, enforced disappearances, killings, abductions, the denial of voting rights and all forms of oppression and tyranny,” said the President in a message marking the July Mass Uprising Day.  

Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus on Friday for the first Muslim Friday prayers since the ousting of President Bashar Assad, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s dramatic political shift. The scene unfolded at the Umayyad Mosque, one of the world’s oldest and a powerful symbol of Syria’s heritage. Large crowds also filled the capital’s main square, celebrating the fall of the Assad regime after insurgents seized the city last Sunday, ending nearly five decades of authoritarian rule. The gatherings were a major display of both jubilation and hope, coming almost a week after a surprise insurgent offensive ousted Assad's government. It also coincided with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s diplomatic mission in the region to guide Syria’s political transition, urging the formation of an "inclusive and non-sectarian" interim government. The key insurgent group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has been working to establish security and start political reforms in the wake of Assad’s sudden fall. The group’s leadership, which had previously been associated with extremist views, has vowed to break from its past and promote a more inclusive government. However, HTS remains labeled a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Golani) addressed the nation in a video message on Friday, celebrating the “victory of the blessed revolution” and urging Syrians to celebrate peacefully without resorting to violence. He promised that the insurgents would work to build a new Syria, united under a government that includes all citizens. The Friday prayers at the Umayyad Mosque were a highly symbolic occasion. The mosque, which has been a center of worship and power for over 1,200 years, was once tightly controlled under Assad’s regime, with sermons strictly censored. In the early days of the uprising in 2011, it was here that many anti-regime protests began after Friday prayers, which were met with violent crackdowns. Read: Syria struggles; Gaza nears famine, WFP warns One worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby, expressed his joy at being able to attend the prayers after more than a decade of restrictions. "Since 2011, I haven’t been this happy," he said, reflecting on the newfound sense of freedom under the new government. However, others like Khair Taha expressed mixed emotions, balancing hope for the future with uncertainty over the country's transition. In Umayyad Square, the city’s largest roundabout, thousands of Syrians continued the celebrations, chanting slogans like "Unified Syria to build Syria." Some protesters, emboldened by the regime's collapse, even shouted insults at the late President Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar, something unthinkable under the previous regime. Khaled Abu Chahine, a 51-year-old from Daraa, the birthplace of the 2011 uprising, shared his hope for a new Syria: "I hope for freedom and coexistence between all Syrians—Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites, and Druze." The Friday’s prayers and celebrations were part of a broader shift in Syria, with the country now under the control of HTS, a group long based in the opposition-controlled enclave of Idlib. The group has promised to build a government free of corruption, similar to the one in Idlib, which many in the capital saw as a positive step. The Syrian insurgents face several challenges, including the need to win international recognition for their new government and to ease fears from minority communities about the group’s future direction. Key regional players like Turkey and the U.S. are closely monitoring developments, with Blinken advocating for a transition that guarantees minority rights and regional stability. Read more: US keen to support Syrian leaders on conditions In the midst of this, the U.S. continues to have troops in eastern Syria, focusing on defeating remnants of ISIS, while Israel carries out airstrikes in the country, reportedly targeting weapon shipments to extremist groups. With Syria’s future still uncertain, global powers are keen to shape the country’s post-Assad era, aiming to ensure that extremist groups do not regain control and that stability is restored in the war-torn nation.

Stating that the perspective of the 90s and 2021 is not the same, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said that BNP’s plan to create another mass uprising like the 90s is a daydream. "The perspective of the 90s and 2021 is not the same. So, the BNP’s plan to create another mass uprising like the 90s aiming to oust the government is now a daydream," he said. He said this while addressing a briefing at his residence in reply to the recent remarks of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Read: Quader urges BNP to forget neutral caretaker govt. for polls On Monday, Mirza Fakhrul called upon students and people in general to unite for "another mass uprising", like that of 1990, to oust the current government. "Students and people overthrew the then dictatorial government through a mass uprising in the 1990s. Our leader Khaleda Zia led the movement. We need such a mass uprising again," said Fakhrul.