Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the 90-foot July Uprising Memorial and the modernised Osmani Udyan in Dhaka on Monday, accompanied by family members of fighters of July uprising.
He unveiled the memorial alongside Md Mokbul Hossain, father of Abu Sayeed; Mostafizur Rahman, father of Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho; Sanjida Khan Deepti, mother of Shahriar Khan Anas; and Mohammad Shafiul Alam, father of Wasim Akram.
Following the inauguration, the prime minister planted a tree sapling on the memorial premises.
He subsequently opened the modernised Osmani Udyan, toured the park grounds, and inspected a library established inside.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmad; Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan; State Minister Mir Shahe Alam; Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar; Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam; and Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton were present on the occasion.
The two projects were implemented to preserve the memory of fighters of July uprising and to enhance the capital’s civic environment.
July Uprising Memorial features
Constructed over nearly one acre of land, the 90-foot-high July Uprising Memorial features the names of 834 fighters engraved via laser cutting, along with 20 symbolic tombstone plaques in front.
It incorporates an outer relief sculpture measuring 163 feet in length and 4.5 feet in height, and an inner relief sculpture measuring 171 feet in length and 7.5 feet in height.
The sculptures depict Bangladesh’s continuous historical struggles, including the 1952 Language Movement, the 1969 Mass Uprising, the 1971 Liberation War, the 1990 Mass Movement, and the 2024 July Uprising.
Modernised Osmani Udyan
Situated at the junction of Old and New Dhaka, the historic 23-acre Osmani Udyan has been transformed into a green, safe, and contemporary civic recreation centre.
The project preserved existing trees, added new saplings and green islands, and renovated existing water bodies while constructing five new ones.
Facilities include approximately 3.1 kilometres of walkways, a gymnasium, a pagoda, public toilets, parking, and landing ghats at the water bodies.
The park also features a 50,000-litre rainwater harvesting system and a two-tier layout with a fast-transit walkway raised two metres above road level.
