Historic July Shaheed Day Today: Remembering the Brave Martyrs of July 16 with Respect

On the occasion of the day, various programs including discussion meetings, prayer gatherings, and remembrance events have been organized by government and private initiatives. Alongside highlighting the significance of the martyrs' sacrifices, respect is being paid to them through various arrangements.

On July 15, 2024, in protest of attacks on protesting students at Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement announced a nationwide protest program on July 16. Centered on that program, clashes occurred between students and police as well as activists of the then ruling party in various parts of the country.

On that day, in Rangpur, police used tear gas and baton charges to disperse protesting students in front of Begum Rokeya University. At one point, Abu Sayed, a student of the English department at the university, stood with both arms outstretched facing police gunfire. The video of that scene spread on social media, causing widespread uproar both domestically and internationally. Subsequently, Abu Sayed's sacrifice became one of the key symbols of the student-public movement.

On the same day, in clashes in Chattogram, college student and Chhatra Dal leader Wasim Akram, Omargani MES College student Faisal Ahmed, and furniture shop employee Md. Farooq were killed. In the capital's Science Lab area, hawker Md. Shahjahan and Jubo Dal leader Sabuj Ali lost their lives. According to various reliable sources, at least six people were killed across the country on July 16.

After the incident, protesting students blocked major roads and railway lines in the capital and various parts of the country. To bring the situation under control, the then government deployed BGB in various divisional cities including Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Bogura. On the same night, all schools, colleges, universities, and affiliated educational institutions across the country were declared closed indefinitely. Students were ordered to leave residential halls, and the HSC examination scheduled for July 18 was also postponed.

According to analysts, July 16 was a crucial turning point in the 2024 student-public movement. The sequence of events that day gave a new dimension to the movement, which expanded into broader political and civil rights-based demands.

Carrying the memory of this sacrifice and paying respect to the martyrs, July 16 is observed every year as 'Historic July Shaheed Day'.

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