The long-awaited July Declaration, which aims to formally recognise the student-led mass uprising that catalysed political transition in Bangladesh, will be officially announced by August 5, according to Information Adviser Md Mahfuz Alam.
In a post on his verified Facebook account late Friday (1 August), Mahfuz Alam wrote, “The July Declaration is now a reality. The declaration will be announced by August 5. Thank you to everyone for keeping the declaration issue alive in the public’s aspirations and paving the way for its implementation.”
Earlier, on 29 July, the adviser had expressed hope that political consensus would be reached before the official announcement. “I hope that consensus will be confirmed before August 5 and that our generation and the July student-people’s uprising will see political and state recognition. We are trying our best. The July Declaration will be a reality. We are responsible for the sacrifices of the July martyrs and the injured,” he said.
Mahfuz Alam also criticised attempts to downplay the July movement in official historical narratives. “Despite our liberal stance on recognising all important episodes in Bangladesh’s political history, regardless of party or ideology, attempts have been made to exclude the fair recognition of the July students and the common people, ” he noted.
He said that the upcoming declaration would provide long-overdue acknowledgment of the contributions made by those who took part in the July uprising. “This declaration will be a historical document that recognises the courage and sacrifices of a generation who reshaped our political direction,” he said.
Sources close to the National Consensus Commission (NCC), which has been drafting the post-transition political framework, confirmed that the declaration includes provisions for a permanent memorial, financial and medical support for the injured, and formal designation of 27 July as National Student-People’s Uprising Day. The document will also recommend amending the national curriculum to include the uprising in history textbooks.
Senior officials involved in the process said negotiations with political parties had narrowed differences on key provisions, although debates over the legal foundation of the declaration and the structure of the proposed upper house remain unresolved. Despite the disagreements, the government is moving ahead with the announcement, viewing the declaration as a moral commitment to the July victims and a crucial step toward institutional reform.
Once announced, the declaration is likely to shape the terms of upcoming constitutional amendments. Ihis would also set the tone for broader political reconciliation efforts under the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.