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Nitai Roy Chowdhury
Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury has said the people of Bangladesh aspire to build a democratic society founded on freedom and transformative change.
He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a remembrance and honouring ceremony for the families of those killed and injured during the July uprising. The programme, titled "Life Could Not Be Intimidated", was organised by the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy with support from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs at the academy's Dance Theatre Hall in Dhaka.
The minister said the country witnessed a historic turning point between July 15 and August 5, 2024, when what he described as a fascist force was defeated.
"We wanted this country to belong to its people. We wanted the nation to be free from every form of domination," he said.
Recalling the events of the July movement, Nitai Roy Chowdhury expressed sympathy for the families of those who were killed and injured.
He also alleged that many people had been subjected to enforced disappearance, killings and unlawful detention while demanding voting rights and justice. He further claimed that political parties, including the BNP and its allies, had faced killings and enforced disappearances over the past 18 years.
According to the minister, the movement reached its climax in July 2024, when students demonstrated what he described as extraordinary determination and ultimately achieved victory.
In his welcome address, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Director General poet Sheikh Rezauddin Ahmed, also known as Rezauddin Stalin, described the killing of young students during the July uprising as an unprecedented event in Bangladesh's history.
He alleged that authoritarian governments had repeatedly used violence to retain power but said democratic aspirations could never be permanently suppressed.
Rezauddin said the people of Bangladesh would continue to stand against injustice and strive for democracy, human values, cultural freedom and an inclusive society.
The event was organised to pay tribute to the families of those killed and injured during the 2024 student-led mass uprising. Shilpakala Academy Secretary Mohammad Zakir Hossain was also present.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/national/1f18f645-2ab3-66d0-9b8e-a8750c72af24