Staff Correspondent

BNP on Thursday announced a series of programmes to observe 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.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programmes at a press conference held at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

Rizvi said the party will observe the anniversary with a month-long programme featuring at least 22 different events.

The programmes include discussion meetings, blood donation drives, graffiti, street theatre, football tournaments, events on children's rights and public awareness campaigns on preventing dengue and COVID-19.

Rizvi said the programme will begin on July 1 with a discussion meeting at the China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre.

Representatives from all political parties, as well as families of those killed or injured during the July-August 2024 uprising, will be invited to take part in the event.

“The people achieved a historic victory through united resistance on August 6 last year. Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country on that day,” Rizvi claimed.

Earlier, the party formed a 58-member committee titled the ‘July-August Mass Uprising, Mourning and Victory Anniversary Observance Committee’, with Rizvi as the convener and Dhaka University Professor Morshed Hasan Khan as the member secretary.

Besides, seven sub-committees have been formed to coordinate various aspects of the observance, including management, publicity, discipline, reception, communication, hospitality and office affairs.